Fifteen Working Group members attended the fourth workshop held on Sunday 3 December 2023.

The Manager of Community & Environmental Health provided a comprehensive summary of the
consultation results. This was followed by a facilitated Q&A session to support understanding of the data for all working group members.

Working group members in general realised the need to compromise on the needs of dog and non-dog
owners when deciding on the preferences to put to Council for each area.

Read below the summary of discussions that were had been Working Group members as they worked together to decide on preferences on future rules for dogs on our beaches and grassed foreshore reserves, to be presented to Council.

There was support from members of the group for Option 2 providing safe spaces where people with reactive/scared dogs could spend time and creation of family/community focused spaces in key high traffic areas.

Feelings that Option 2 provided a good compromise to offer on-leash and off-leash areas on the grassed foreshore. Community engagement results suggest a compromise for this area is worth discussing as the proposed option (option 2) received the most support out of all the options proposed by the Working Group.

Members of the Working Group discussed the needs of people with mobility issues to be able to access grassed foreshore spaces with their dogs and ensuring that grassed spaces are still available for off-leash use.

Consideration of the upcoming Semaphore Foreshore redevelopment and the need to be able to make adjustments to meet the needs of this redevelopment. Without having this information available to them, the Working Group thought council administration were best placed to have the flexibility to make this decision.

The need for there to be a clear boundary for the on-leash areas in order for these rules to be easily conveyed and enforced. Conversations around boundaries were mostly focused on the Semaphore on-leash area and whether this space should finish at the boundary of the existing playground and skate ramp or extend to the southern edge of the reserve near the train shed. Working Group members view on this varied and they were happy with council staff and Elected Members making this final decision.

Working Group preference: Option 2: defined on-leash areas at all times

The Working Group discussed North Haven being a small area of beach and whether it was beneficial to split this area of beach. People exercising dogs would like this area of beach to stay under current daylight savings rules. The on-leash area proposed is quite small and often covered in seaweed.

North Haven SLSC said that the on-leash area wouldn’t be beneficial to them as they need the flexibility to move their activities based on the weather conditions and tides. Overall, the Working Group didn’t believe there was enough support from the community or the SLSC, to proceed with the proposed Option 2 for North Haven Beach.

Working Group preference: Option 1: current rules / daylight savings

Working Group members highlighted the need for an inclusive option for this area of the beach, something that offers an opportunity for everyone to access and enjoy this space.

A separate off-leash area was discussed by the Working Group as this came across strongly in the engagement results around concepts however Semaphore South to Breakwater Beaches Option 3 was not well supported. Members of the Working Group felt this was because the on-leash and off-leash zones were included as one option. Group members discussed the need to make sure there is an option for shift workers as they make up a large percentage of our workforce in PAE.

Group members discussed how far someone needs to be away from a dog off-leash to feel safe. They thought that 100-150m was sufficient and therefore the on-leash zones should be 200-300m per jetty ensuring that the area aligned with beach entrances and grassed foreshore pathways. There were reservations about the previous 2022 Council Decision and if Option 2 was close to that original decision if the on-leash zones were 500m either side of the jetties. The Working Group discussed the possibility for the on-leash zones only being for daylight savings rather than all year round. The group also discussed the possibility of lining up beach on-leash areas with grassed foreshore on-leash areas.

Staff discussed the unlikelihood of Option 1 being successful due to it not meeting the goals of the working group and the needs of the whole community. Members of the group highlighted the need to focus beyond their personal needs and act for overall community benefit.

Intensive discussion led to a breakthrough where the group could work on and agree to a compromise that provided opportunities for all community members to find a safe and enjoyable space on the beaches. This wasn’t the first choice for each user group but offered something for everyone.

The Working Group decided that considering the goals of the group, that Options 1 and 4 were unlikely to be successful and decided their preference as a group would be Option 3: On-leash areas and northern off-leash area, with the consideration to be taken by Council whether on-leash areas would be all year around or only during daylight savings.

Working Group Preference: Option 3 - On-leash around jetties (all times) and off-leash north area

OR

Option 3 (variation): On-leash around jetties (all times during daylight savings only) and off-leash north area