Beaches go to the dogs
Residents barking mad at ‘filthy’ off-leash areas
THE Gold Coast’s overcrowded off-leash dog beaches are “revolting” with beachgoers forced to use towels to cover their noses from the smell of animal faeces and on constant alert for fear of being attacked.
Residents and tourists in more than 50 public submissions to the Gold Coast City Council on animal control areas have raised serious health and safety concerns.
Four years after southern Palm Beach was exposed as the Coast’s “stinker of a beach” after a random cleanup led to volunteers picking up 48 bags of dog poo in 45 minutes, the council submissions confirm it remains a filthy war zone between pooch owners and surfers.
A Palm Beach resident told council: “The sheer number of dogs and people on the beach is dangerous and uncomfortable – you have to be on high vigilance the whole time. I have seen people fight each other over their dogs.
“I have seen verbal fights escalate and witnessed by the children of the men fighting. It is very ugly. I have also seen dog fights.
“There are just too many dogs and people – the result, I don’t go to my local beach on the weekend. What am I paying my rates for if it’s too dangerous and unpleasant to use my own park.”
Another Palm BeachCurrumbin resident said council’s decision to allow for an off-leash area had destroyed the pristine beach spit and eastern side of the estuary at Currumbin Creek turning it into “a dog toilet”.
“People say that they pick up the dog poos – fine, but a lot do not and anyway a poo smear is left on the sand or in the grass. People do not pick up the gooey ones nor any of the stinking urine or the dog vomit,” the resident wrote.
The grandparent recalls being attacked by off-leash dogs while wheeling his kayak and his granddaughters while on their scooters.
“The dog barking can and does often start at 5am in the morning and can still occur near dark. Sundays are especially busy and barking mad with dogs left tied to the fence or a tree while their owners go off somewhere. Would not do for Surfers Paradise now would it, so why our area which has been a total takeover by dogs.”
Area councillor Daphne McDonald told the Bulletin the issue of off-leash beach areas for dogs needed to be revisited by council after public consultation produced only 52 responses.
“For a city of over 600,000 residents, maybe half have got an animal, that’s a poor response,” she said.
The council needed to consider another off-leash area to take the pressure off Palm Beach, The Spit and Tallebudgera which offer the only beach locations for pets to be to walked off leash.
“Here we are increasing our population by 15,000 a year. We are going to have a lot of extra dogs. We are not providing any extra areas,” Cr McDonald said.
But southern-based city councillor Gail O’Neill said many residents were sending a strong message that “they don’t want the beaches to be given over to dogs”.
“We do have quite a problem with people letting their dogs off leashes when they shouldn’t. I totally believe we have enough off-leash areas,” she said.
Cr O’Neill presented a petition to council where residents suggested an off-leash area between Bilinga and Tugun surf lifesaving clubs but council lifeguards provided a report which showed it would be difficult to police.
Other councillors with beachfront in their divisions like Broadbeach-based councillor Paul Taylor maintain they haven’t had any “recent feedback” on off-leash areas.
A resident in the consultation requested an area between Miami and Mermaid Beach but was advised by council officers those beaches were not under review.
Nine submissions objected to dogs on beaches and 21 supported off-leash areas.