Mati's letter on Leash Free Parks

Dear Mr Driver,

Only yesterday as a resident and companion dog owner in “Jacksons Landing Pyrmont, did I discover your department has undertaken a review of the parks in our area over the past 12 months?

As a Managing Director of an architectural and urban planning company (owned and operated in Pyrmont) am appalled at this thinly veiled attempt to slip through legislation that no one asked for and undermines the undertakings given to pet owners at the opening of the water police park.

To read that based on a 260 person survey the Council is now discussing removing leash free parks from our area and providing no access to the foreshore parks unless on leash is totally underhanded and will be opposed through legal avenues at every opportunity – obviously including the next council election.

Also as someone who dutifully reads all council statements to ensure regulatory compliance is reviewed by our designers, can I ask where this survey for comment was publicised? Or is it like the Council “what’s new in the City of Sydney flyer” – it will arrive 8 days after the events have occurred?

It is incredible that your office did not contact our social group (see blog attached http://jacksonslanding.blogspot.com/ ) nor any registered owners and discuss an issue that has brought so many of us to the area as home owners. I find it implausible that of the 40 or so dog owner members of our social group alone, not ONE of us heard for this survey until the end of last week.

As seen in the attached blog it clearly illustrates our group of dog owners have a strong social network over several years that utilises our pets to greet new neighbours and meet to discuss local support and were pleased to see the old water police park after such significant public debate and consideration approved by council and our mayor as a leash free park. Now after the election and leading into a state election we are subjected to a new survey that has been misread by your department to indicate that dogs must be on a leash.

Lend Lease sells off the back of our pet owners network putting on fetes with Dr Harry and stalls, Clover Moore wins elections because of our village lifestyle, but council feels it worthless to hold meaningful discussions with registered pet owners.

Historically we have met at Cadi Park, with access to the water at the old water police site many of us were pleased to broaden our social network and enjoy a coffee at the kiosk and watch our pets swim via the steps leading to the water. As responsible pet owners we were always mindful and respected other users of the park (though apart from two fitness groups we are the main users of the park).

On Sundays we journey to the old water police park early to avoid outside groups of picnickers; Mondays we arrive late to avoid the litter and broken glass left by those same outside groups!

Your report talk of off leash parks increasing BUT the increase is nowhere near this pet friendly precinct of Jacksons Landing. The parks you nominate are impossible for our disabled members to reach and seem to be an afterthought attempt to mollify this close knit electorate. Given time I could provide a petition of thousands of pet supports within our area, but then council would have needed to contact local residents of this matter instead of just picking a couple of hundred names to discuss such an important issue with – and not one of these people were from our group?

For those of us who studied statistics in university, statistically the survey indicates that several thousand (at 40% of the those survived) want easy access (foreshore access parks that can be enjoyed by local resident families.

I can not stress this issue more strongly , that off leash parks need to be a part of our local area and council needs to consider current parks that have for so many years been off leash remain so for the sake of those of us who actually frequent these spaces. The concept of green space is something that needs to be enjoyed not just photographed for the City of Sydney public relations department.

Please provide us pet owners with the forum to discuss this matter – we elected a councillors that listen and is collaborative.

Best regards

Mati Jaas