Blitz planned for popular dog beach

Getting sand between their paws at Point Cartwright is a much-loved experience for many local and visiting dogs, however it seems some dog owners are letting their pet ownership responsibilities slide.

Following numerous complaints over the past few months, Sunshine Coast Council will run an education campaign at Point Cartwright during the Easter school holidays to ensure dog owners know their responsibilities and are doing the right thing.

Divisional councillor Joe Natoli said residents and recreational users of the popular area were fed-up with irresponsible dog owners.

“We know people love coming to Point Cartwright, and it’s a very popular area for exercising dogs,” Cr Natoli said.

“But, the large number of dogs visiting the area has also resulted in an increase in noise and other issues which is causing considerable distress to the local community and visitors to the area. 

“We’ve received numerous complaints about dog waste not being picked up and disposed of correctly, dogs not under effective control, dogs being allowed to roam off-leash during designated on-leash times, dogs running into the bushland, jumping on other park users and creating safety concerns for other park users.

“It’s time dog owners took their responsibilities seriously, which is why we’ll be visiting the area every day during the Easter school holidays to ensure dog owners are doing the right thing.”

Between April 1 and 14, Council’s Response Services staff will attend a daily pop-up education booth to discuss responsible dog management with as many users of the area as possible.

“We want to remind the community about their responsibilities as pet owners, where and when their dogs can exercise in public, ensure their dogs are under effective control at all times and their waste is disposed of correctly,” Cr Natoli said.

“Our public spaces are for everybody to enjoy so it’s important that dog owners know their responsibilities when using shared spaces and that they are being respectful of other users.”

In addition to the pop-ups, council will also place additional signage in the area and provide suggestions for alternative locations for exercising dogs nearby.

For information about exercising your dog in the Sunshine Coast, including off-leash, on-leash and prohibited areas visit dogs.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au

For more information about responsible pet ownership visit https://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/Living-and-Community/Animals-and-Pets

Image: Response Services Education Officer Hannah Maloney with Division 4 Cr Joe Natoli