YOU CAN HANDLE THE TRUTH

An easy-to-understand explanation of specific law-related issues.
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Dogs vs. Cricket

After a long hiatus in lockdown, local sports clubs are finally returning to the fields and ovals across Moreland. On one local oval, this has turned into a literal turf war between the sports club organisers, groundskeepers, and the community members who have, in their absence, enjoyed their exclusive use – dogs (and their humans). Recently this came to a head when a children’s cricket coach used a bike lock on the main entrance to the park and insisted that dogs weren’t allowed on the field. While the dogs seem unphased by the social exclusion, their human counterparts were rightly confused and annoyed.

After a quick call to the Moreland Council, who don’t seem to get into the weeds too much over the philosophical implications of the commons dilemma, it was reiterated that it is a ‘shared space’, but that comes with some relevant clauses for dog owners:

They must be on a leash within:
•1m of shared pathways
•15m of playgrounds and children’s play equipment
•15m of the principal location of an organised sporting or community event or festival

This last clause appeared to raise confusion in this particular case, as the cricket coaches believed this to mean the entire oval was out of use if any part was being used for training.

The council’s position is that the principal location is defined as the actual location of any training or sporting events, unless the group has formally booked the entire oval. When asked how members of the public would know if the space had been booked, the advice was that “the person who has booked will tell you” and that there is no publicly available booking calendar or schedule.

So far, the result for this park has been that the sports club sectioned half of the oval off with some cones – a compromise many dog walkers were very happy with. Some dogs were contacted for comment but at the time of print had not yet responded.

For more information on dog off-leash areas and council laws surrounding dog walking, visit the Council website!

By Joyce Brinkley