Tara Murray
A gated dog park in Delahey could be one step closer.
Community members have long campaigned for a gated dog park in the area and have formed their own Facebook group.
Despite missing out on council funding in an earlier bid for a gated park, the group now has new hope.
Brimbank councillor Maria Kerr has put a gated dog park at Goldsmith Avenue Reserve back on the agenda after raising a notice of motion at the council’s latest meeting.
Cr Kerr has called for a review of council’s Creating Better Parks Policy and Plan to include investigating a fully Gated Dog Park at the Delahey reserve.
The review is scheduled for the 2021-22 financial year.
Cr Kerr said she was raising the motion in response to the community campaign.
“The Delahey community have passionately campaigned and highlighted the need for a fully gated dog park in walking distance.
“It will be a meeting point and provide safety for the dogs and owners, the park will also increase health and wellbeing,“ Cr Kerr said.
“Delahey is continuously left behind in terms of development and infrastructure. They deserve a dog park.”
Rachel Hayes, who formed the Delahey Community/Dog Park Facebook group, said they had been trying to get a park since 2018..
“I did a petition and put it through to the council. We got 70-odd signatures in seven days. We wanted to get it in before the budget, which we did a submission for.
“It got knocked back.”
Ms Hayes said a group of 10-15 community members once used an oval in Delahey to walk their dogs and meet up regularly.
The oval was closed for upgrades and when it re-opened was an on-leash area.
“It was my socialisation,” she said.
“We all separated and went our different ways when the oval closed. They broke our group up.”
Ms Hayes said while there are other gated dog parks in the municipality, it requires dog owners to drive to get there.
She said a dog park in Delahey could include areas for small and older dogs and a separate area for bigger dogs.
Cr Kerr’s motion of notice was carried, but it wasn’t without some discussion.
Deputy mayor Jasmine Nguyen raised an amended motion, asking for a review to look at dog parks across the whole municipality.
That motion was defeated.
