CLOSED: This Petition has concluded.

Request for an Off‑Leash Dog Area at Byng Road Park Birkdale

Principal Petitioner: Alana Murphy

Closing Date: Tuesday 10 February 2026, 4.30pm

Petition Request:

Request that Council establish a dog park in Byng Road, Birkdale. I live nearby and there are many dog owners and residents in this area who walk their dogs, but there is currently no dog park within walking distance.

Petition Response (6 March 2026):

Thank you for your petition requesting a Dog Off Leash Area (DOLA) to be installed in Byng Road Park, Birkdale. The petition was tabled by Councillor Bishop at the General Meeting held on 18 February 2026, Council Resolution 2026/10. The matter was defined as operational in nature and referred to officers to consider and respond.

Council understands the importance of DOLAs for fostering a sense of community and providing dogs with the freedom to exercise, socialise, and explore in a safe and controlled environment.

Following investigation of the petition request, Council advises that the creation of a new DOLA at Byng Road Park is not supported. This decision is based on the following considerations:

Council currently provides 32 designated DOLAs across Redlands Coast, offering a variety of sizes, formats, and locations to support equitable citywide access.
When compared to other neighbouring Local Government Areas, Redlands City Council has a high provision of DOLAs based on population.
DOLA require several planning and design considerations to ensure the facility is fit for purpose, appropriately positioned and accessible.

These considerations include:

Proximity to sensitive or conflicting uses such as residential properties, playgrounds, conservation and koala habitat areas, and other park activities.
The need for supporting infrastructure including parking, pathways, additional litter bins, water points and shade.
The physical size, layout and topography of the park.

Byng Road Park is classified as a Neighbourhood Park within Council’s park network. These parks are typically smaller in size, located close to residential areas, and intended to provide low-key, casual recreation opportunities such as small play spaces and informal open areas.

For these reasons, they are not considered suitable locations for a DOLA.

To meet design and operational requirements, DOLAs are generally provided within Community-level parks or sports field precincts. These larger parks can accommodate appropriate buffers to surrounding uses, offer a broader range of activities to support longer stays, and typically include higher-order amenities such as barbecues, shelters and public toilets.

A new DOLA within the Birkdale area has already been identified for future consideration in the master plan for the William Taylor Memorial Sports Field upgrade, where site size, function and layout are more suited to accommodating this type of facility.

Please note this response has been provided to you as the Principal Petitioner. You may choose to notify other people listed on the petition of the outcome.

We understand this may not be the outcome you were hoping for; however this is Council’s considered position following a thorough investigation of the matter. We have now concluded our review and consider the matter closed.