Current situation
- Primrose Sands does not currently have a dog park.
- Sorell Council plans to build a dog park in Primrose Sands once appropriate land has been allocated.
The issue
- There is currently no process or plan to involve the community in deciding the location, design or features of a new dog park.
- Without community involvement, the dog park that is built may not meet the needs of residents. An example of this can be seen at the Sorell dog park, which has several well known issues including poor surface quality that raises concerns about injury, no irrigation, limited trees and seating, and no outdoor lighting.
My plan
- Council will conduct a community survey to better understand the needs of dog owners and identify the features residents would most like included.
- Once appropriate land has been acquired, Council will hold two public meetings at the site to present the lessons from elsewhere, and allow residents to discuss the project directly and provide ideas and feedback.
- Council will collate the results and prioritise community needs within the allocated budget.
- Council will build a dog park that maximises public use and accessibility within the available budget.
The benefits
- A community-designed dog park would better reflect how residents use theccf space, leading to higher participation and long term satisfaction.
- Early community involvement would reduce the risk of design flaws, such as poor surfaces or a lack of shade, seating or lighting, that can limit use and require costly upgrades later.
- A well designed dog park would encourage responsible dog ownership by providing a safe and dedicated space for exercise and socialisation.
- A fit-for-purpose facility would support physical and mental wellbeing for both residents and their dogs by encouraging regular outdoor activity and social connection.
- Designing the park with community input would deliver better value for ratepayers by focusing investment on features residents actually want and will use.
- A successful dog park would improve the liveability of Primrose Sands and make the area more attractive for families and long term residents.