The Draft Fenced Dog Park Guidelines (Technical Report) brings together research, community feedback, and expert advice to help guide the City of Whitehorse in planning, designing and managing fenced dog parks.
Whitehorse has more than 12,000 registered dogs and 32 off-lead areas. However, currently there are no fully fenced dedicated dog parks. The draft guidelines aim to address this gap while balancing the needs of dogs, and other park users.
The guidelines in this report will help guide Council when identifying suitable locations and designing future dog parks. No specific locations have been selected or confirmed at this stage.
Your feedback will help us to refine the draft guidelines and will ensure that future dog parks meet local needs, are safe, accessible, and well-designed.
Use drop down boxes below to learn more about the areas we are seeking feedback on:
The design of dog parks plays a critical role in ensuring they are safe, functional, and enjoyable for both dogs and their guardians.
The draft report establishes design guidelines for 2 types of dog parks:
- Large-scale dog parks (greater than 3,000 m²): These are destination facilities designed for large catchment and longer stays, often accessed by car. They typically include a wider range of features and amenities including carpark to support high visitor numbers. The draft report prioritises the delivery of large-scale dog parks in Whitehorse.
- Small-scale dog parks (less than 3,000 m²): These serve local areas and short-stay visits, if provided, they may be located in high-density areas or on underutilised parcels of land. While smaller parks help address local needs, they carry a higher risk of overcrowding and surface wear and generally involve higher maintenance costs. As a result, their design focuses on durable, low-maintenance elements.
Depending on the size of the parks, the report identifies highly desirable features that are likely to be included in future dog parks, and optional features that may be considered if budget and site conditions allow. Read more about the draft design guidelines and the features considered for future dog parks here.
*3,000 m² is approximately:
- Half the size of standard soccer field
- 7 Basketball courts side by side
- 12 tennis courts side by side
The report recommends a three-step process for identifying suitable locations for fenced dog parks:
Step 1: Identify potential sites
This step includes developing an initial list of possible locations, with a focus on underutilised spaces, regional or municipal parks, and areas with gaps in off-lead provision. Sites with constraints that cannot reasonably be resolved would be excluded early in the process. This includes land affected by contamination, Public Conservation and Resource Zones, or significant environmental overlays.
Step 2: Analyse shortlisted sites
Each potential site will then be evaluated against site assessment criteria below to determine overall suitability. Sites will fall into one of three categories:
- Already suitable: These sites meets most criteria with minimal modification required.
- Not ideal and may need further work: These sites may require design changes, added infrastructure or minor mitigation works, which may have financial implications.
- Not suitable and unlikely to be feasible: These sites contains significant constraints that are not practical or cost effective to resolve and should not progress further.
Step 3: Consult the Community
Community will be invited again to share views on shortlisted sites to help ensure future dog parks reflect local needs and expectations.
Site assessment criteria:
| Element | Criteria |
| Existing uses and values | Assess potential impacts of a dog park on existing use and values and whether these can be managed through design and management. |
| Site qualities | Relatively flat in topography Good drainage |
| Accessibility | Clearly defined and safe to access Footpath network |
| Visibility | Visible and easy to locate and access Opportunity for passive surveillance |
| Shade | Existing trees or shade structures, or potential to provide |
| Infrastructure | Existing water connection or potential to provide a new connection Existing toilets to be shared with other park users |
| Parking | Existing off-street parking or potential to provide |
| Adjacent activities/uses | Compatibility with other park activities (cycling trails, BBQ/picnic areas or playground) Treatment to minimise potential conflict (fencing, landscaping, buffers) |
| Environmental buffers | Sufficient space to buffers from biodiversity corridors, fauna habitats, areas with endangered species, significant wetlands, and other high-value habitats. Indicative buffers, should be assessed case by case basis but generally,
|
| Residential buffers | Assess buffers to nearby homes on a site-by-site basis, with buffer distances set according to local context and constraints. Preference should be given to sites that do not directly adjoin residential properties. Where sufficient separation cannot be achieved, apply mitigation measures to reduce actual or perceived impacts on neighbouring residents. |
Read more about the site selection guidelines and processes considered for future dog parks here
Some sports fields in Whitehorse currently allow dogs off lead when there are no games or training sessions. These areas are valued by many dog owners and support regular exercise and social interaction. At the same time, shared use can create challenges, including impacts on turf quality, safety considerations for players and access and scheduling issues for both dog owners and clubs.
The draft report recommends providing dedicated fenced dog parks to create safe, purpose-built spaces for dogs. These parks are intended to complement existing off-lead areas and help ease pressure on sports fields, while continuing to support a range of off-lead exercise options across the municipality.
It also identifies the need for a future review of off-lead areas to address the gaps in off-lead provision and to ensure shared spaces continue to function well for all users. Council is not proposing changes to current off-lead areas at this stage. Any future adjustments would be informed by monitoring, evidence, and further community consultation.
Where it is proposed that there is to be dog off-lead use of sport fields, it is recommended that the following principles be considered:
- Off-lead designations should only apply to sports fields that can accommodate dog use without compromising turf quality or scheduled sporting activities.
- Off-lead areas should be distributed across the municipality to prevent overuse of specific sites and ensure fair access for all residents.
- Off-lead sports fields should be considered alongside future dedicated dog parks to create a connected network of dog off-lead areas and reduce pressure on sports fields.
- Appropriate management measures should support safe and responsible use. These may include partial enclosures where suitable, clear signage, and site-specific controls to manage user behaviour. Ongoing monitoring of site conditions and user behaviour should inform adaptive management.
- All off-lead areas should reflect best practice, comply with relevant legislation, and align with Council’s strategic frameworks, including the Domestic Animal Management Plan, reserve master plans, and sports ground classifications.
How to get involved:
- Read the Draft Fenced Dog Park Guidelines and FAQs
- Attend one of our pop-ups and share your thoughts in-person
- Take the online survey. This survey will take approximately 5 minutes to complete. Your responses will be treated confidentially. Your data will be handled in accordance with Whitehorse City Council's privacy policy
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