Successful community consultation on proposed new Subordinate Local Laws
Council is delighted to have received over 100 submissions from the community via its Your Say Noosa website in response to the draft proposal for new Subordinate Local Laws only released late last week.
The consultation, open until March 20,seeks community input on a whole suite of proposed new Subordinate Local Laws including everything from parking, public health, community safety hazards and signage, to animal control.
Councillor Frank Wilkie said the strategy of communicating the proposed changes to the new Subordinate Local Laws, specifically dog exercise areas, had been effective.
“The intention was to save residents the time and trouble of trawling through many pages of material to find the changes.
Proposed changes to dog exercise areas were specifically flagged because we knew that these would be of significant community interest.”
A selection of the submissions has been posted in the document library of the consultation on Your Say Noosa along with the proposed new Subordinate Local Laws.
The vast majority of the submissions are in relation to proposed changes to the off-leash dog area on north Sunshine Beach and the on-leash dog area at Peregian Beach, south of the Peregian Beach Surf Club. Most of these submissions are against the proposed changes.
The proposed new subordinate local laws could add six new off-leash areas for dogs in places like Kauri Park Cooroy, the foreshore between Urangan Parade and Woongar Street plus the sports field at Boreen Point, Shorehaven Drive in Noosa Waters, Rainbow Park at Sunrise Beach and Di Hirst oval at Peregian Beach.
Local social media sites have been abuzz with community discussion. Council has added to those discussions by encouraging people to have their say by making a submission.
A submission made via Your Say Noosa is an effective way to affect a change to the proposed Subordinate Local Law prior to the law being adopted.
In addition to making a formal submission, residents can have their say on the off-leash dogs on beaches issue on a dedicated forum on Your Say Noosa under the Proposed new Subordinate Local Laws community consultation tab.
Council Disaster Management & Public Order Manager, Ron Thomas said that there have been seven reported incidents in the past six months in which dogs have attacked other dogs at north Sunshine Beach. Two were very serious, with one of the dogs requiring more than $1000 worth of veterinary treatment.
Council regularly receives complaints about uncontrolled dogs, aggressive behaviour and dogs jumping up at people. There have also been complaints about dog owners leaving their pets unsupervised and off-leash on the beach while they go for a swim.
For more information and to have your say, please go to http://yoursay.noosa.qld.gov.au.
3 March 2015