Jamberoo's new fenced off-leash area was officially opened on Tuesday with the local canine community wagging their tails in delight to give the park their seal of approval.
Kiama Mayor Cameron McDonald, Councillors Erica Warren, Stuart Larkins and Imogen Draisma were in attendance for the ribbon-cutting ceremony along with Kiama Member of Parliament Katelin McInerney.
"It's a lovely facility and it's fantastic to see local residents and their dogs at the park, making the most of this community asset," Mayor McDonald said.
"There's plenty of space for large and smaller dogs. It's a safe environment so I'd encourage dog owners to come to the park.
"I'm lucky enough to be the owner of a new pup as of two days ago, a toy poodle called Murphy. She's a bit too young to come to the park now but we'll get her down here when she's older so she can enjoy the great outdoors and socialise with other dogs.
"This park has been a long time coming so we're really happy to have this finally open."
The project was jointly funded by Kiama Council ($69,400 from the Developer Contribution Fund) and the NSW Government ($75,600 from the Local Small Commitments Allocation).
"It is great to see this jointly funded project finished and open to everyone," Ms McInerney said. "I'm proud the NSW Government helped Kiama Council bring this to life through the Local Small Commitments Program.
Cutting the ribbon for the official opening of the Jamberoo Dog Park.
"The community were clear they wanted a fenced dog park and now having a dedicated space for smaller dog owners to bring their furry family members for a run-around is a reality and I hope the community enjoys it for years to come."
Located in the south-east corner of the reserve between Churchill Street and Gibson Crescent/Whyalla Road, the park provides a secure, fenced space for dogs under 15kg to roam as well as a separate area for larger dogs to be off their leash.
Amenities at the park include benches, an undercover area, water stations and waste disposal bins. Between 27 October and 27 November 2025, Council invited the community to submit feedback on five design options via the website and pop-up events.
The main feedback which informed the final design centred around the location, design, safety and practical issues such as drainage, shade and space.
"It's wonderful to see this park come to fruition," Cr Larkins said. "Back in 2022, there was a 1000-signature petition for a fenced dog park in our local government area, as well as long advocacy for dedicating a dog space in Jamberoo.
"I thank the Council team for their efforts on this project, and the community for continued advocacy and their input into the design of this dog space project."
