An enclosed off-leash dog exercise area will be established in Ballina over the next year following a successful motion from Cr Jeff Johnson.
Cr Johnson said the initiative would now be included in the 2017/18 Operational Plan which would be a first of its kind for Ballina.
Currently there is no dedicated enclosed off-lead exercise/training area for dogs within the Ballina Shire’
‘There is a growing number of households that have dogs and it’s important for the council to provide areas for these dogs to be trained and to socialise.
‘There is a wider community benefit also from having dogs that are better trained and socialised.’
‘While there are seven designated off-lead areas within Ballina, there are no enclosed areas which are important for owners to train their dogs in a safe area where the dogs can’t run away.
‘This isn’t simply a proposal to put up fencing around an area, it is to create dog parks.
‘While some people may think that this isn’t an area that council shouldn’t be allocating resources for, and I appreciate that, one needs to consider that thousands of local families have dogs, and well trained and socialised dogs do have a wider community benefit.
‘While the motion wasn’t unanimous, it now has the overwhelming support of the council.’
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