Eltham Dogs to Run Free
Eltham has a wonderful natural environment where pets are part of our way of life and thanks to the Andrews Government, our four legged friends will get a new park.
It has been shown that pet ownership benefits both our physical and mental health with some estimates that $3.86 billion is saved in health expenditure over one year thanks to our fury friends. That is why it is so important that we have appropriate local facilities encouraging families to exercise their dogs as well as socialise.
In the last budget, the State Government provided $5 million to create 16 new dog parks including one here in Eltham.
The Government recently announced the new guidelines for the locations of these new parks. The guidelines will help municipalities like Nillumbik to identify the type of locations suitable to be transformed into an off-leash, enclosed dog park.
The Local Parks Program Guidelines set out standards for size, location, and the type of infrastructure and services that make up a great local park.
The guidelines also outline that potential sites should align with an approved open space, precinct structure or recreation plan that has undergone community engagement.
Aside from Eltham, the other dog parks are to be located across the Melbourne area are Boroondara, Brimbank, Casey, Darebin, Glen Eira, Hume, Kingston, Knox, Maroondah, Mooney Valley, Port Philip, Stonnington, Whitehorse and Wyndham council areas.
The Government will work with Nillumbik and the other municipalities to determine the location of the new parks.
The Guidelines are available at www.environment.vic.gov.au/suburban-parks
Quotes attributable to the Member for Eltham, Vicki Ward MP:
“Dog parks aren’t just great for dogs, they are terrific for their humans too. It’s a great social experience for dogs and their owners.”
Quotes attributable to Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio
“We’re delivering 16 new off-leash dog parks across Melbourne and these guidelines will help councils identify the best possible locations.”
“More dog parks mean more open spaces for families and their pets to enjoy, close to home.”
“Dogs aren’t just pets, they’re like family members, and only Labor will make sure people have somewhere they can enjoy getting outdoors and letting their dog off-leash safely with 16 new dog parks across Melbourne.”