Project Frequently Asked Questions
Will the fenced dog exercise area affect the current on and off lead areas at Riverside Gardens?
No, the current on and off lead designated areas will remain as they are. All four of the potential locations within Riverside Gardens are located within the dog off lead area.
How was the list of potential locations developed?
The list of potential sites within the City was reduced from over 170 parks and reserves down to 20 potential locations. We did this by applying a set of criteria to determine the most suitable locations based on reducing impact on local residents and environmental impact, as well as the ability to provide additional facilities such as parking, water and shade. The criteria was developed in collaboration with the Engage Bayswater Panel, a voluntary group of City of Bayswater residents, ratepayers and business owners.
How was the final location identified?
The 20 sites were considered through Phase 1 of community engagement with the broader community to provide comment on, and rank in order of preference their top five preferred locations to potentially develop an enclosed dog park. In total, 944 community members participated in the engagement process. Of these participants, 751 completed the Proposed Fenced Dog Exercise Area survey. The majority of respondents supported the concept of developing a specialised fenced dog exercise area within the City. Riverside Gardens East was ranked as the favoured location with Riverside Gardens West ranking second.
The qualitative analysis of comments for Riverside Gardens East found the most common explanations for participants favouring this site included close proximity to the participant’s home, and the site being an established and well-used dog park, including access to the river with an abundance of space available. More information about what we heard can be found here.
From these 20 locations Council at its Ordinary meeting held 10 March 2020 has identified Riverside Gardens as the preferred location for the fenced dog exercise area. See the Council meeting minutes (pg 75) for more details.
When will the fenced area be constructed?
Now that the location for the Fenced Dog Exercise Area has been finalised, officers will commence detailed design of the area, including perimeter fence height, signage, seating and shade and agility equipment. Updates on the project will be posted on this page as they become available.