Few spoil it for many: Why is Whitehorse Council locking the gates at two sporting ovals?

UPDATE: April 11

Council officers have considered all feedback from the community and will present the issues in a future report to council.

As a result, council will not proceed with the planned gate changes at this time.

The entrance gates to two ovals in Whitehorse will be locked open outside of sporting fixtures and training, as the temperature between Whitehorse Council, sportspeople and dog owners reaches simmering point.

Whitehorse Council says there have been too many incidents between dog owners and people playing sport at Bob Saker Oval (Mahoney’s Reserve North) in Forest Hill and Morton Park West in Blackburn, and that the new rules are an attempt to improve not only relations between ball-loving creatures, but the quality of the playing surfaces.

However dog owners are furious, saying the decision to keep the gates open will mean it is no longer safe for them to let their pooches run off leash.

Why is this happening?

Whitehorse Council said that from April 21, it will lock gates open at all times except for during organised sporting events and training sessions, or when council maintenance works are being undertaken, to promote responsible dog ownership.

Council says there has been “a significant increase in reported incidents at these facilities, including conflict between sporting participants (involving children) and dog owners, as well as damage to sports field surfaces”.

“For many years, Whitehorse City Council has balanced the needs of the wider community (including dog owners) and sporting participants, investing significant resources to provide a safe sports field surface for all,” it said.

What responsibilities do dog owners have?

Dogs would be permitted to exercise without a lead when the ovals were not in use.

“As per the local law, dogs exercising off lead in this area should always be under effective voice control and owners must be able to recall their dog immediately if needed,” council said. “It is the owner’s responsibility to ensure their dog is always within 25 metres of them and to pick up after their dog.”

Council said it will evaluate the impact of the changes over coming months.

What has been the response from local dog owners?

Dog owners who use Morton Park have hit out at the council’s decision, as it means the park would no longer be fully fenced.

They have launched a petition calling for Whitehorse Council to reverse the decision, saying it “compromises not only our ease of access, but more significantly, our safety within this beloved space”.

“We believe that such crucial decisions should be made in collaboration with those who engage most intimately with the park - its regular uses,” the petition states. “We therefore implore the Whitehorse Council to reconsider the decision …”

Fay Baikie has lived close to Bob Saker Oval for about 30 years and has walked her dogs there for more than 20 years.

In a letter sent to a Whitehorse councillor and the Eastern Melburnian, she said it would be “unbearable” if an open gate led to one of her dogs being run over.

“I find this whole situation untenable and it needs to be changed immediately.”