With estimates of about 40 dogs for everyone 100 people in our Local Government Area, Wollongong City Council is anticipating there will be community interest in the public exhibition of our updated Dogs on Beaches and Parks Policy.
We're seeking feedback on the Policy, which has been updated in line with our review cycle. Most of the updates are behind-the-scenes tweaks that make the policy easier to understand such as clearer wording and better formatting. But there's one key proposed change that affects our orange zone beaches.
Orange zone beaches allow dogs to visit at set times on a leash. Currently there are different set times in these zones based on the season. In summer dogs can visit orange zone beaches before 9am and after 6pm and in winter before 9am and after 4pm. To simplify the timed access at our orange zone beaches, we're proposing to change the on-leash hours to before 9am and after 5pm all year-around.
Lord Mayor of Wollongong Councillor Tania Brown said having spaces where dogs can play and socialise is valued by our community.
"This policy outlines how we can support this and balance it with the varied needs of our public spaces," she said.
"For this engagement, we're asking residents if they agree with the proposed changes to the on-leash orange zones. These changes aim to make it easier for our community as the current timetable does change between winter and summer."
The initial draft Policy Review had proposed that the off-leash dog area of McCauleys Beach could be reduced to the northern section of the beach area for environmental and cultural reasons. At the Council meeting on 27 October 2025, Councillors resolved that this proposed change would not be included in the policy review prior to going on exhibition. The reviewed policy does not propose any changes to the area of McCauleys Beach .
