By Jenel Hunt
Dog owners of Warwick, prepare to unclip your dogs’ leashes. The Southern Downs Regional Council has finally worked through all the parks suitable for a new dog off-leash area – some more than once – and the final winner has been named Victoria Park at Pratten Street.
But the 13 December meeting was not without its moments of doubt and definitely not without robust debate.
At the previous council meeting the spotlight was snatched away from the seemingly favourite contender (Victoria Park) to a site in Queens Park, although to be clear, it was not a revisitation of the original food-prone site.
At that meeting the Mayor, Cr Vic Pennisi, put up a successful motion that the council consider a Queens Park site in the Alice Street/Park Road vicinity once consultation had been undertaken with the Condamine River Sports Group committee about the matter.
But the move clearly backfired as consultation brought a very negative response from the Condamine River Sports Group.
The council’s manager of parks and operations Chris Collingwood met with the committee to discuss the proposed site and request their feedback.
The committee members who were present voted unanimously that they were opposed to the development of the dog park at the Queens Park site.
The parks and operations report stated, “It is the view of the CRSG clubs that the current use of the parkland as car parking during peak sporting fixtures is of greater priority”.
At the meeting the attendees indicated support for Gillam Park and Mel Gibson Park but “generally considered Victoria Park to be an ideal location for the facility, far exceeding the Queens Park site as a suitable option”.
Cr Marco Gliori said, “It was a good rich community discussion of people who are residents of Warwick. Unanimously the representatives of over 1500 members have said please don’t put it back at Queens Park.”
Despite the negative feedback for the most recent contender for the dog area, a number of councillors were not willing to give up their idea of Queens Park.
Cr Andrew Gale said that while appreciating the amount of community consultation, he felt that “we are settling a millstone around our neck” by having the area set up at Victoria Park.
“Queens Park is the area used by the people to walk. They walk, they run, they ride their bikes.” (He stopped for a moment and faced the livestream camera to say hello to his dogs.) His concern was that the Queens Park area already had infrastructure that might be needed at the dog area, particularly footpaths.
“It give me nightmares to think about how much it would cost to replicate that at Victoria Park,” he said.
But Cr Gliori said he had visited dog parks in Toowoomba and they’d had one simple concrete path down the middle. Moreover, the parks were surrounded by residential properties.
“I haven’t heard any public outcry about Victoria Park. Not one phone call. An off-leash dog park needs to be in a quiet area. Not somewhere that’s bustling with cars and intensive sporting activity and children.”
Cr McDonald said safety was an issue that had not been explored enough and that large numbers of pedestrians, bikes and dogs could end up ‘in a scruff’.
Cr Bartley spoke against Victoria Park, as did Cr Tancred.
Cr Pennisi suggested that as the sports group committee had suggested Mel Gibson Park, it could be ‘thrown into the mix’.
But Cr Jo McNally wanted the decision made.
“We’ve gone round and round and round and round,” she said.
“There are thousands of people who use that precinct down there [Queens Park]. There are not thousands of people who use the dog park. They’ve said they do not want it there. Condamine River Sports Group have told us they do not approve. Are you going to disregard their feedback?”
Cr Windle pointed out that it could be difficult to get a park at Queens Park.
“It’s time we listen to the people. Queens Park is not an ideal location. It’s not going to work.”
The vote finally went to Victoria Park. After the vote, a division was called. Voting for Victoria Park were Crs Gow, Gliori, Windle, McNally and McDonald. Against were Crs Tancred, Gale, Bartley and Pennisi.
This decision came after a long lead time for the subject of a dog off-leash area in Warwick. Internal needs analysis started as long ago as late 2022 and community consultation begin in March this year. Consultation has included drop-in sessions, a have-your-say survey, a letter drop and door knock in the Victoria Park precinct and the recent meeting with the Condamine River Sports Group committee.
There had previously been concern about the dog area being put somewhere that might be needed for more permanent infrastructure in the future. Mr Collingwood said wherever the DOLA was established, it would be able to be dismantled and re-established elsewhere if required.
The original dog off-leash area was damaged during the 2021-22 floods and with a grant of $100,000 from a Recovery and Resilience Fund added the council’s insurance claim payout of $35,000, the new project has a very attractive building fund.
The new dog off-leash area is expected to consist of three zones – a small dog area, a larger dog zone and an agility park that could feature tunnels, seesaws and agility slalom poles.