Point Hut Dog Exercise Area will remain an off-leash dog area in response to a long campaign by pet owners. Photo: Melanie Smith.
The ACT Government has bowed to months of pressure from the community on the future of one of Tuggeranong’s top go-to dog exercise areas.
The Point Hut Dog Exercise Area (PHDEA), an 8 ha swathe of nature on the corner of Jim Pike Avenue and Woodcock Drive in Gordon, was set to be designated on-lead-only due to the opening of the new Lanyon Dog Park on the same corner.
But residents such as Melanie Smith have argued the dog park, being much smaller and fenced, was no match for the existing PHDEA and launched a petition to keep it off-leash.
“It’s my morning meditation, if I’m honest,” Ms Smith told Region earlier this year.
“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.”
Others from both sides of the political aisle have taken up the cause too, including Deborah Morris and Mark Parton from the Canberra Liberals and Caitlin Tough from ACT Labor.
The government said its Conservator of Flora and Fauna had looked at designating the area “on-leash” due its location within a Special Purpose Reserve.
But the conservator appeared to give some ground when executives from ACT Parks and Conservation met with users of the PHDEA at a community event in late June and told the group the area was “safe” – even if the surrounding land was still “under review”.
Over the weekend, however, ACT Minster for City and Government Services Tara Cheyne finally delivered the welcome news.
She said the conservator had reached a decision “regarding the areas which can remain off-leash, together with the clear confirmation of the areas which require dogs to be on-leash, and the areas in which dogs are prohibited”.
New zones within the Point Hut Dog Exercise Area. Image: ACT Government.
“Point Hut is a much-loved location for dog exercise and I regret the unclear communication which created uncertainty and concern,” she said.
“I’m pleased that, in consultation with the community, we’ve been able to confirm that the core off-leash areas will remain accessible and protected for community use.”
All of the current off-leash areas, including space close to the Murrumbidgee River corridor, will remain off-leash.
A small section along Jim Pike Avenue will be changed to on-leash, “to manage equestrian access and safety”, while all existing dog-prohibited zones will remain to preserve sensitive ecological values such as box-gum grassy woodland and endangered species like the pink-tail worm lizard and platypus.
“This is a sensible, evidence-based outcome that recognises Point Hut’s value to the community while preserving its rich biodiversity for generations to come,” Ms Cheyne added.
“I want to thank local residents, trail users and conservation groups who worked together constructively to reach a shared position that respects both people and the environment.”
Updated maps and signage, including digital updates on ACTmapi, will be rolled out by September to ensure users are clear on all the changes.
ACT Labor MLA Caitlin Tough, herself a Lanyon resident, described the news as “wonderful win” for the community.
“I want to thank all the members of the community who reached out to me and who met with me at the dog park to raise concerns about its future,” she wrote in a Facebook post.
Canberra Liberals MLA Deborah Morris also celebrated the victory, describing it on social media as a “terrific outcome for our community”.
