A new resident in Nambour, one of the Sunshine Coast’s largest towns, is urging the local council to establish a fenced dog park, highlighting the lack of safe, enclosed spaces for dogs in the area. Tracy Cooper, who recently moved from Gympie, expressed her surprise upon discovering that Nambour lacks a dedicated fenced area for her two rottweilers, Benji and Roxy.
“I was shocked to find there’s nowhere in Nambour to let my dogs off-leash,” Cooper said. “There are many dogs in the area, and it’s unsafe for them to be running in an unfenced park.”
While Nambour does offer two unfenced off-leash areas, Cooper is calling for more secure spaces for dogs to exercise. She believes the town’s large dog-owning population deserves better facilities. “We pay rates and dog registrations, so it’s frustrating that Nambour doesn’t have fenced areas like other suburbs,” she added.
Cooper turned to social media, asking the community for help in finding land that could be used for a safe, enclosed space for dogs to play. “I even posted on Facebook, hoping someone might have a fenced area we could use,” she said. Locals suggested nearby towns like Palmwoods, Bli Bli, and Mapleton as options with fenced parks.
According to Cooper, Nambour urgently needs at least one, if not two, fenced dog parks. “We need a safe, enclosed space for dogs to run,” she stated. “It’s crucial for the safety of our pets and the public.”
Nambour, established over 150 years ago, has a population of approximately 20,000 people. Currently, the town’s two off-leash parks—Quota Memorial Park and Petrie Park—are not fenced. A spokesperson for the Sunshine Coast Council explained that the parks are located in flood zones, where fencing could exacerbate flooding issues. “Fencing these spaces would obstruct the natural flow of floodwaters, potentially worsening the impact on surrounding properties,” they said.
However, the council is exploring options for additional dog exercise areas across the region. There are currently 46 dog exercise areas on the Sunshine Coast, with 21 of these fenced. The council is committed to providing public spaces that promote healthy lifestyles for both pets and their owners.
“We are investigating several opportunities for more dog parks and will keep the community informed as plans develop,” the spokesperson stated. With several nearby fenced dog parks, including those in Palmwoods, Bli Bli, and Mapleton, the demand for a similar facility in Nambour appears to be growing.
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