Melanie Smith likes to watch the sun rise from within the Point Hut Dog Exercise Area every morning. Photo: Melanie Smith.
Melanie Smith only moved to Calwell in Tuggeranong’s south last August, but it’s been enough time to fall in love with the nearby Point Hut Dog Exercise Area.
She describes the 10-acre swathe of nature located on the corner of Woodcock Drive and Jim Pike Avenue in Gordon as “a local haven” for dog owners.
“We found out through a little word of mouth about this dog exercise area, and we haven’t looked back,” she says.
“It’s my morning meditation, if I’m honest. I’m an early-morning riser, so my routine is to get up at 4:30 am, go to the gym, come back and take my two dogs for a sunrise walk. And while they’re sniffing around, I get to walk quietly, enjoying my solitude and watching the sun come up over the mountains.
“We used to go to the local Greenway dog park, but it was too stressful for my dog. She was constantly harassed.”
Melanie is now among hundreds of other locals fighting to save the area from being closed by the ACT Government.
The government has been constructing the new Lanyon Valley Dog Park on the same corner in Gordon, which is set to open later this year.
This will include separate areas for small and large dogs, a grass play area, a dog “agility” area, all behind a 1.8-metre high fence and accessible through two airlock-style entrance gates.
But the government has now flagged plans to turn the existing Point Hut Dog Exercise Area into an on-lead-only reserve, with the exception of some areas closer to the Murrumbidgee River.
Dog owners like Melanie argue the new dog park is no match for what they currently enjoy, and up to a 90 per cent reduction in space.
A map showing the Point Hut Dog Exercise Area. Photo: Melanie Smith.
“The kicker is the dog park, which is probably the size of two backyards, and it’s an agility park,” she says.
“Most of our dogs are pets. They’re not trained for agility. I certainly can’t see myself teaching my dog to go through hoops.”
She says closing the area for environmental reasons is a “moot point” because of how building waste was dumped on site during Gordon’s development in the 1990s, and how the area is now infested with blackberries.
“It also doesn’t encroach on the river corridor. It’s away from the river corridor. It’s fully fenced, and it doesn’t impact the bicentennial track at all, and it keeps the dogs safe. The wildlife tends to stick to the other side of the fence.”
With the support of Canberra Liberals MLA Deborah Morris, locals have launched an online petition, calling for the ACT Government to keep the Point Hut Dog Exercise Area “open to the public as an approved off-leash facility”.
Dog owners at the Point Hut Dog Exercise Area. Photo: Melanie Smith.
“The ACT Government’s plans to transition the area into an on-lead reserve will be a massive loss to the Tuggeranong community who have invested time and money into maintaining the area for the enjoyment of all locals and their dogs,” the petition reads.
So far, it has accrued more than 600 signatures, while a related GoFundMe page has raised $675 of a $1800 target.
“When people are passionate, they’ll move mountains, and there are a lot of political mountains to move here.”
The petition closes on 7 June 2025.
In a statement, the ACT Government says its Conservator of Flora and Fauna was “reviewing” the situation and would take feedback from the community before making a final decision.
“Signs and maps will be updated for consistency to ensure the community is clear on where to allow their dogs off-lead, on-lead and where dogs are prohibited,” a spokesperson said.
“The community will be engaged in this review.”
The spokesperson also said a “high level of support” had been received for the new dog park, “with 81 per cent of survey respondents supporting the design, proposed features and amenity inclusions”.
“The site at the corner of Jim Pike Avenue and Woodcock Drive in Gordon was deemed the most suitable as it met specific criteria including appropriate block size and landform, suitable land zoning, access, safe parking opportunities, proximity to services, good passive surveillance, and sufficient distance from residential dwellings to minimise noise concerns.”
