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Council barks up the right tree with pooch park designs brewing

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Tongala’s Brose Reserve was dog-eared as one of the paw-fect locations for an off-leash dog park. Photo by Jemma Jones

A design for a new dog park in Kyabram is being finalised by the Campaspe Shire Council, while a Tongala pooch park is straggling behind pending approval from the Victorian Government.

Dog owners can expect news in coming weeks regarding the designs for a new destination for their pooches to play freely in an unleashed dog park proposed for Edis Park.

In June this year, part of the 2024 Budget referred to the allocation of $500,000 towards two off-leash dog exercise parks in Kyabram and Tongala, with council officers mentioning that designs would be completed by September.

The project was first given the green light in July 2023 council meeting when they were presented as “quick wins” for the council to achieve.

While exact locations were not confirmed - dog-eared for potential pooch parks were Brose Reserve in Tongala and Edis Park in Kyabram.

Those locations are still the popular options according to Campaspe Shire Council director of communities, Jo Bradshaw who confirmed that Edis Park designs are currently being worked on with the hopes that they will be finalised by the end of September.

Brose Reseve, on the other hand, is VicTrack land, which requires communication between the two organisations to further development in Tongala.

“Brose Reserve is the preferred location, pending the finalisation of a VicTrack lease,” Ms Bradshaw said.

“In the meantime, council officers are preparing a survey and Cultural Heritage Management Plan for the area in anticipation of the design.”

On the Campaspe Shire Council website, the project has an estimated completion date of June 30, 2025.