Page 1732 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 18 August 1992
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Dog Exercise Areas
MS SZUTY: My question is addressed to the Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning, Mr Bill Wood, and concerns the recently designated off-lead dog exercise areas in the ACT. I did give Mr Wood's office notice that I would be asking this question this afternoon. Could the Minister inform the Assembly as to what consultation processes have been undertaken and why particular suburban areas have been designated as off-lead dog exercise areas, when these areas at times include school and community ovals and playing fields?
MR WOOD: I thank Ms Szuty for her warning. It is the case, however, that this issue has been much in my mind and one that I have debated internally and with no small number of people. You asked why particular suburban areas have been designated as off-lead dog exercise areas. The question is simply answered by saying that it is clear from all the consultation that has occurred over a period that the community wants dog owners to have much more control of their dogs.
The policy for determining which areas would be designated off-lead exercise areas was developed in consultation with relevant land managers within my department and with the two major dog clubs in the ACT. The current policy is that dogs may be exercised off lead on non-irrigated areas of public land, except where dogs are prohibited for specific reasons. Here and there you see a sign with a red diagonal stripe crossing out the dog. We spent a great deal of time endeavouring to determine which areas would be so designated. It seemed to us ultimately that an irrigated area versus a non-irrigated area provided a pretty good point of demarcation, and that was the reason for doing that. There are some extensions of that. The law prohibits dogs from being on children's playgrounds and near food preparation areas such as barbecues in public parks and other places and also on sportsfields and ovals when a sporting activity is actually taking place. We have developed maps showing these areas and they are available for public viewing around the libraries and other public places. I believe that the system will work well. Obviously we will listen to comment if there are particular difficulties in some areas.
Emergency Rescue Service
MR HUMPHRIES: My question is to the Attorney-General. Has the Attorney recently renewed the ACT road accident rescue memorandum of understanding for a further 12 months? Does the Attorney acknowledge that this arrangement, whereby the ACT Fire Brigade attends road accidents north of the lake and the Australian Federal Police those south of the lake, is arbitrary and has led to interservice rivalry, overservicing at some accident sites and the wasteful duplication of road rescue vehicles, equipment and training? When will the Government summon up the courage to attack this costly and inefficient practice once and for all, rather than succumbing to the vested interests of some of the unions concerned by endlessly renewing the memorandum of understanding?
MR CONNOLLY: The memorandum originally signed under the Alliance Government has been renewed for a period of 12 months. Unlike the Alliance Government, which just did it, I have directed both the Chief Police Officer and the Fire Commissioner to get together to come up with a solution to this problem. I also intend to set up a working party of the two unions. I, frankly, do not care who provides the rescue service, so long as it is provided well and efficiently. The dilemma is that there is no simple solution to this.
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