Dogs are not our whole lives but they make our lives whole,” so said well-known wildlife photographer and writer Roger Caras, and it’s certainly true for many residents of Randwick City. Dogs are an important part of many people’s lives and can help encourage social interaction and physical exercise. Council recognises the joy dogs – and other companion animals – can bring and the significant impact on quality of life, and provides 14 off leash dog parks where dogs can be exercised without the need for a leash.

Our off-leash dog parks:

• Baker Park, Coogee
• Bangor Park, Coogee
• Bardon Park, Coogee
• Blenheim Reserve, South Coogee
• Broadarrow Reserve, Maroubra Beach
• Burrows Park, Clovelly
• Coral Sea Park, Maroubra
• Ella Reserve, South Malabar
• Nagle Park, Maroubra
• Paine Reserve, Kingsford
• Pioneers Park, Malabar
• Snape Park, Maroubra
• Trenerry Reserve, Coogee
• Woomera Reserve, Little Bay

For the residents surrounding Woomera Reserve in Little Bay, the park is an important focal point in the community, with owners sharing friendly knowledge, advice and expertise with fellow dog owners.

“Our two rescue dogs were quite anxious when we first had them, and because we weren’t sure if they might nip other dogs, we put them both in a muzzle,” local resident Daniella explained. “But with the support and advice of the crew down here at Woomera, we were slowly able to remove the muzzles and watch as they interacted with the other dogs at the park. The two dogs we have today are confident, sociable and happy, and a lot of that is thanks to the advice from all the people we meet every day down here.”

For fellow dog walker Amanda, the park has been the site of happy memories for the past two decades. “I’ve been coming here with my dogs for over 20 years now. It’s a really fantastic community – we even celebrate doggy birthdays with little party hats and pooch-friendly treats – and we have a Facebook group which really helps in both sharing knowledge and arranging get togethers.”

Doggie dos

• Keep your dog under effective control. This means they need to be within eyesight and you need to be able to call them to return to you.
• Carry plastic bags to pick up your dog’s poo. If you forget, Council supplies them for free at the park.
• Make sure your dog is vaccinated, microchipped and registered .
• Put a collar and name tag on your dog with a phone number.
• Be courteous to other park users. Offleash dog parks can be used by everyone.

Doggie don’ts

• Walk more than four dogs.
• Let your dog go near children’s playrounds, sports fields, bushland areas or bbq areas.
• Let your dog swim at the beach.

Why doesn’t Council allow dogs on beaches?

We often get asked this question by dog owners. We know that exercising your dog on a beach can be a great experience for both the dog and dog owner. However Council is also required to provide safe and pleasant places for all people to go.

Randwick City’s 10 beaches are among the most visited and popular beaches in the country. They are also much smaller than most beaches outside of Sydney. For these reasons Council does not allow dogs on our beaches – whether on or off leash. Our beaches are places for people and this is our priority.

Other councils who have larger beaches or less populated areas provide offleash beaches including Bayside, Sutherland and Woollahra councils.

Can Council provide a dedicated fenced offleash area?

We have recently been asked to consider provided fenced exercise areas for offleash dogs. Some councils have trialled this, but with limited success. A fenced area requires secure high fences with child-proof gates. The area becomes hard to maintain and is not usable by the general public except for dog owners. Randwick Council’s approach is to provide public open space that the whole community can use and share.