Have your say on proposed changes to dog exercise areas in Anna Bay, Fishermans Bay and Boat Harbour

The council's senior community recreation planning officer Paul Burton said it had been seven years since a review of the dog exercise areas had been carried out and that community consultation was key in bringing together a proposed plan that worked for everyone.

"Our last review was back in 2014 and we know a lot has changed since then - dogs are a valued member of the family, communities have changed, recreational spaces have been upgraded and how people use these shared spaces is different," he said. "Listening to our community and finding balance for everyone who uses public spaces was really key this time around."

As part of the review, Port Stephens Council held two community drop-in sessions and ran an online survey in December 2020.

Mr Burton said the council received a "great response" from dog owners and non-dog owners that was "really constructive and helped us come up with a plan that is equitable for all users."

Proposed changes from this review include allowing dogs off lead at Birubi Beach before 9am and after 5pm during the peak period of October to April.

Dogs will also be allowed off lead at all times during the off-peak period of May to September.

At Boat Harbour beach, the proposal is for dogs to be allowed on lead to walk along the beach to access the headlands before 9am and after 5pm.

This change will provide a new route to access the off lead area located on the South Headland and also for those that like to walk their dog on lead.

Exercise areas at Boat Harbour and Fishermans Bay Park have also been changed to better reflect the areas suitable for off lead use.

As well as community engagement, the dog exercise areas review took into account benchmarking with other councils and a site analysis to identify opportunities for improvement.

Central ward councillor Sarah Smith said the council's review came off the back of a request from residents.

"We've worked really closely with residents on this review and it's important we get the balance right for everyone in our shared spaces. I think this review reflects that happy medium," Cr Smith said.

Take the survey, which closes at 5pm on Sunday, June 6: haveyoursay.portstephens.nsw.gov.au/dog-off-lead-review.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content: