The Australian Veterinary Association and the RSPCA have asked Sutherland Shire Council to increase the number of off leash parks for dog walkers.
Sydney City Council wants 28 of its parks permanent off leash areas, however Sutherland Shire, together with the three St George councils, feel that their provisions for canines are already up to scratch.
Sutherland Shire’s two full time off leash areas are bolstered by three more with time restrictions and the council has no immediate plans to expand the available spaces. Dog owners and off leash supporter Sabine Schiller said off leash areas had several benefits besides giving the dogs a chance to stretch their legs.
“It does you good, both the owners and the dogs,” she said. “There’s a social aspect that’s quite important. It makes for less aggressive dogs I think, because it’s a chance for them to be socialised to other dogs and new people and learn how they’re expected to behave.
“There’s also an important social aspect for the owners, who get together to chat and meet. A lot of older dog owners rely on the areas as a way of getting out of the house and meeting people.”
A council spokeswoman said dogs could be exercised without a restraining device in designated off leash areas but must be still under the control of a competent person. In Sutherland Shire there are two full time off leash areas - Carina Bay Reserve at Como and in Helena St, Kirrawee.
Kurnell, Bundeena and Wanda Beach all have off leash provisions but are subjected to time restrictions. Between them, the three St George councils have a total of 20 off leash areas and they feel this is enough for the regions canine population.
Rockdale Council acting general manager, Greg Smith, said the six roam free parks in Rockdale were adequate. Sharon Camilleri of Australian Dog Squad in Sans Souci has trained dogs for more than 25 years. She said people should keep their pets on leads even in off leash areas.
“Some dogs get aggressive and attack other dogs,” Mrs Camilleri said. “You can use long leads that give them freedom but if there is a problem you can pull them away. Children should never be left alone with a dog no matter how well trained it is. Dogs challenge a fight with their eyes and a child is generally at the same eye level.”
Arncliffe resident Kim Townsend said she always walked her border collie on a leash after her pet was attacked by a doberman and a rottweiler in a Rockdale off leash area. “It was terrifying,” Mrs Townsend said. “If the owner hadn’t been close by it would have been dangerous. You can’t always have control over them.”
Kogarah, the smallest of the St George councils, is top dog when it comes to catering for canines with 12 off leash areas. Some already operate 24 hours a day. Hurstville Council has two off leash areas - at Gannons Park and Riverwood Park- and Mayor Vince Badalati said there were no plans to increase these. Northies open till midnight
Sutherland Shire Council’s independent hearing and assessment panel has given Northies Hotel at Cronulla the green light to open until midnight on selected Sundays. The green light was given after the proposal was approved which allows the hotel to trade until midnight on Sundays identified by the Gaming and Racing Minister.
In the past, those Sundays have included the NRL Grand Final, FIFA World Cup and the Rugby World Cup. The panel considered the need for extended hours, the possible impact that antisocial behaviour would have on the local community and security issues.
The 4-0 decision went against the recommendation of a council officer. The panel’s report said it had considered the material put by licensee Rob Stanley-Jones as well as the council officer’s report and objections submitted by the NSW Police Service.
“The panel considered that the imposition on police resources would not be great, as these special event days would only occur between four and eight times a year,” the report said.
The Sundays would generally be on long weekends when a Sunday night would be more akin to a Saturday night, in any event. Further, there could be some benefit from the hotel remaining open in that the disturbance of patrons leaving the hotel at 10pm and moving on foot to other local licensed premises could be reduced.
“The panel considered that the risk of increase antisocial behaviour associated with adverse impacts on surrounding properties was not sufficient to refuse the development application.” The extra hours will be restricted to a trial period of 12 months. Heavy rain hits The Shire
St George and Sutherland Shire was lashed by rain over the weekend with the deluge expected to continued for a few days yet. Amateur meteorologist Eric Stuckey recorded 81.4mm of rain at Oatley in the first four days of February.
Mr Stuckey, 85, has volunteered his research to the Bureau of Meteorology for 56 years. Last year the total amount of rainfall recorded at Sydney Observatory Hill during the month of February was 107.6mm.
State Emergency Crews (SES) responded to nine callouts, with fallen trees and blocked drains the main concern. Sutherland Shire Council beach operations manager Brad Whittaker said there were no signs of storm water pollution at this stage.
The Bureau of Meteorology is predicted thunderstorms and showers for the week with predictions we will receive above average rainfall for the month. | 
