Update December 2025: Following extensive community consultation on our dog walking locations in mid-2023, when we received 480 responses, we are making some changes to ensure there are even more places to walk your dog on a lead and off-leash. These changes take into account both the needs of dog owners and other community members. The changes were approved on 27 October 2025. Find out more in the Council report (PDF, 35MB) and read the Council resolution on page 14-20 of the 27 October 2025 meeting minutes.
We recognise there has been a significant increase in dog ownership and the number of people walking dogs in our local area in the last few years. Part of our role is to balance the needs of dog owners and other community members.
Of the 21 changes which have been approved, most increase the opportunities for dog walking, however taking into account community feedback and safety concerns, Kutti Beach has been changed from dogs allowed on-leash to dogs prohibited from late November 2025.
Many of the recreational locations where dogs will be allowed off-leash or on-leash require the installation of new signs, fences and bins before the new dog walking rules can take effect. These will be implemented in 2026. We will continue to update this page.
Background
Dogs provide companionship, encourage active lifestyles and many people see dogs as part of their family. Feedback from our 2020-2021 Open Space surveys told us that dog walking is the third most popular use of Woollahra’s parks, beaches and reserves (behind walking and swimming) and in the last few years there has been significant growth in dog ownership and exercise needs across our LGA, mirroring national trends.
In formalised off-leash areas dogs can socialise and exert energy, while enabling dog owners to meet and connect with the broader community. However, feedback from our surveys also included concern about dog safety and management. Balancing the needs of dog owners and the general community is a growing priority for Council.
We began an LGA-Wide Review of Dog Controls in 2023. This review proposed changes to existing dog controls across a range of our parks, reserves and beaches to reflect the current needs of the community. We want to ensure our open spaces meet the current needs of our community while remaining accessible. We sought your feedback to guide future provisions for dogs and their carers.
Community Consultation
In 2023, we asked for feedback on dog controls in Council-owned parks and reserves across the LGA, including proposed dog control changes in 19 locations.
We accepted feedback via an online form on this page, email, mail and in-person at 8 pop-up sessions held at dog-walking locations across the LGA in March 2023.
The proposed changes would expand the number of locations where dogs would be allowed off leash increasing the opportunities for dog walking. Feedback was open from 1 March - 26 April 2025.
A second community consultation open for feedback from 15 May – 16 June 2025, invited the community to have their say on dog controls at Gap Park, which was inadvertently left out of the locations in the first community consultation.
We received 480 submissions. Read a summary of community feedback on pages 4-7 of the post-exhibition report 13 October 2025.
We then undertook environmental assessments for each park for which changes were proposed. These assessments which were finalised in 2025 and results can be found in this report presented to Council in October 2025 (PDF, 35MB).
At the Council meeting on 27 October 2025, it was resolved to proceed with 21 changes to dog controls across the LGA to ensure there are even more places to walk your dog on a lead and off-leash. These changes consider both the needs of dog owners and other community members.
When will these changes take effect and how will Council manage them?
We've made some changes already, and the rest of the changes to dog controls will take effect early 2026. Many of the locations where dogs will now be allowed off-leash or on-leash, where they previously weren't, require the installation of new signs, fences and bins before the new dog walking rules can take effect. We will continue to update this page.
Have your say
We invited the community to comment on the draft review via the short form below by Friday 16 June 2023. Feedback has now closed.
