At the Ordinary Meeting of Council held on Monday 18 October 2021 Council made the decision to:

• defer further consideration of the dog park concept until a further layout plan has been developed for the entire Nelson Square Reserve to be completed no later than 30 June 2022; and
• funding previously allocated to this project which needs to be expended under the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure (LRCI2)funding conditions be reallocated to the footpath program; and
• provides in principle support for an allocation of funding from LRCI3 for the works at Nelson Square including the dog park in the 2022/2023 budget (or sooner if planning is completed).

Further community engagement and discussion will be undertaken on the planning for Nelson Square once Council has recruited a Manager Open Spaces, which is currently underway.

To view the full Report and attachments presented to Council refer to the Agenda and Minutes of the Ordinary Council Meeting dated 18 October 2021, available on our website atwww.portlincoln.sa.gov.au/council/meetings/ordinary-council-meeting. Alternatively you can view the Community Consultation Report and Survey Results over to the right under Key Documents.

Consultation

Council invited the community to give feedback on our first ever dog park concept plan from Thursday 16 September 2021 to Thursday 7 October 2021.

Goal 3 of Council’s Open Space Strategy is to increase the range of functions available in our open spaces. One of the actions against this goal is to create a dog park. The inclusion of this action was driven by community feedback and a petition to Council requesting the provision of a designated dog park in Port Lincoln.

The project has been allocated a budget of approximately $200K, plus some additional footpath and car parking works, and this is being funded out of federal funding which needs to be expended by 31 December 2021.

Dog parks provide a safe and secure environment for dogs and humans to get together, exercise and play whilst in a controlled environment with minimal impact on the surrounding area and neighbourhood.

The new dog park is located centrally in the existing open space of Nelson Square and maximises the retention of the native vegetation to the north and south of the site. Existing native vegetation is retained within the northern aspect of the dog park, providing shade, visual amenity and a sense of connection to place. Additional pockets of new planting and shade trees are included within the park. These plantings provide exploratory opportunities that will enrich the dogs’ experience at the park.

The existing landscape surrounding the dog park is to be retained with some of the native vegetation thinned and under story pruned to improve sight lines into the Reserve while still providing a natural barrier between the park and neighbouring properties.

The design of the dog park considers the needs of both humans and dogs and embraces the various interactions that can occur between dogs and people. The design provides a secure fenced space where dogs can sniff, play and exercise off leash in a naturalistic environment that is in keeping with the existing amenity of the reserve.

The key features of the dog park include:

• Perimeter fencing — perimeter fence (chainmesh) to complement the surrounding natural vegetation and to minimise dogs going over, under or through the fence.
• Entry/exit points — multiple access points have been designed to minimise congestion in these high traffic areas.
• Double gates — double gating system with safety airlock, self-closing gates, and accessible latch.
• Circulation paths - series of internal paths to encourage dog owners to walk with their dogs through the space. The internal paths are DDA compliant allowing dog owners or visitors that are mobility impaired to use the dog park.
• Activity spaces or zones — variety of exploratory zones to give dogs a range of opportunities within the dog park.
• Surface materials — variety of texture and experiences for dogs including sand, organic mulch, and concrete for paths.
• Drinking fountain - drinking fountain for both human and dogs
• Amenities - shelter, formal and informal seating.
• Waste disposal - bins and dog bag dispensers.
• Signage — educational signage on dog behavior and dog park rules/ etiquette.

An on-site information session was held at Nelson Square Reserve, on Tuesday 28 September 2021, from 5.00pm – 6.00pm, where the community could provide feedback and discuss the concept plans with Council staff.

Click this link to view the Nelson Square Dog Park Concept Plan in full or refer to the Key Documents section on the right of screen.

Please note:The area on the concept plan outside of the dog park design is set aside for determination of future use, this does not mean that Council has decided that this land is surplus and will be available for disposal - however subject to future consideration of the uses of the reserve, that may be a future consideration, however any discussion around disposal of reserve land will involve community consultation.

Hardcopies of the Nelson Square Dog Park Concept Plan were made available at the Council Administration Office and Port Lincoln Library from Thursday 16 September 2021 to 5pm on Thursday October 7, 2021.