By Jed Lanyon
Some Upper Yarra dog owners were barking mad about Yarra Ranges Council’s draft plan for Wesburn Park, which initially proposed the dog off-leash area to be relocated out of the park.
Council is in the process of planning for major upgrades to the Wesburn Park area for the many sporting and community groups located there and to accommodate the nearby Warburton Mountain Bike Destination Project, but some dog owners feared it meant losing the only grassy space available to unleash their canine friends.
Council’s draft master plan suggested the relocation of the dog off-lead space to Cavanagh Road beside the Warburton Trail, but after consultation with nearby dog owners, the alternative plan will be for the space to potentially remain at Wesburn Park but at a reduced size to make way for parking spaces.
Council’s director of environment and infrastructure, Mark Varmalis said the additional parking spaces are required to accommodate future growth in visitors for recreation and events at the facilities.
“Our current plan for the off-lead area at Wesburn Park is to keep the park in its current place,” Mr Varmarlis said. “This has been influenced by feedback we’ve received very recently from dog walkers, who wanted to see the off-lead area stay.
“Following this feedback we’ve updated our plans to make this happen. We’ll be re-aligning the park to formalise existing car parking spaces and designing the off-lead area to create a safer, more entertaining space for all dog walkers visiting the park.
“Since updating the plans for the dog off-lead area, we’ve been out on site to talk to community members to make sure the changed plans get the balance right, and to gather more feedback. Council will also be investigating more locations for additional dog play and activities within the Upper Yarra and the wider community.”
The revised plans could see the dog park reduced from 7000 metres squared to 4200 metres squared.
Long-time Warburton resident Anne told Star Mail she brings her four dogs to Wesburn Park everyday.
“I come here to walk my dogs as a lot of other people do because there’s no other place … You can’t walk anywhere but here because you’ll get run over by the push bikes in Warburton.”
Anne expressed her displeasure at the proposed Cavanagh Road site and said the next closest location for dog owners would be to take their pets to Lilydale or Healesville.
Anne said she “didn’t mind” council’s plan to reduce the park in comparison to moving it to Cavanagh Road, a location she described as ‘swampland’. While other locals voiced their displeasure at seeing a grassy green area turned into a gravel car park.
Two other residents, who wished to remain anonymous, believed the smaller space wouldn’t be enough.
“From the dog owners point of view, the small patch of land here now isn’t enough for the number of dogs that come down here,” said the Warburton resident of about 20 years. He said he uses the area twice daily.
“It’s a big community of dog owners and especially during this last year with Covid and seeing mental health issues, this is where everybody has come and they’ve managed to chat about the issues they’re having.”
“It’s a socialising space for humans and for dogs,” said a Millgorve resident of five years. “It’s for the wellbeing of the humans and dogs. We’re both social creatures and we need that community and need that space.”
“I’m not against mountain bikers, I think it’s a good thing that there’s an additional amenity for an additional sport,” said the Warburton resident.
He claimed there was a suitable site on the other side of the park to accommodate the parking spaces, to which council officers explained there would be additional issues in doing so.
“Why should we sacrifice what we’ve got to accommodate something that they’re developing anyway. If they can’t fit it then they need to find a different site for it.”
The Millgrove resident called council’s plans to reduce the dog off-lead area a “compromise”.
“They realise, okay we can’t just displease all these people, so we’ll try to make a compromise, we’ll only take part of their land. But we don’t see why they have to take any. Our space is small enough as it is and this is our only space. Leave it as it is. Take another space.”
