Where Canberra's next dog parks will be built

Sites for two new dog parks to be built next year have been identified – one in the north in Franklin and the other in the south in the Lanyon Valley.

A feasibility and design contract recently awarded lists the Franklin site as Block 2 and 3, Section 57, on the corner of Oodgeroo and Nullarbor Avenues close to Franklin Primary School and Franklin District Park, while three sites in Gordon are in contention for the southern dog park.

The Franklin dog park will cover 3000 to 4000 square metres

The contract says ICON Water plans to use the southeast length of the block for a tank, which would suit a dog park being established on the rest of the site and rule out any residential development of the land.

It says a dog park would be expected to include car parking for eight to 16 vehicles, a water station, bin, access gates and airlock-style gating.

The Gordon sites offer the opportunity of much bigger facilities.

Site 1A on Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate (EPSDD) leased land near Woodcock Drive and adjacent to the Bicentennial National Trail could accommodate a dog park of 5000 to 7000 square metres.

The block is currently used as an unofficial off-leash dog park, as designated by Transport Canberra and City Services, and the public access the site off Woodcock Drive and walk over the Bicentennial National Trail into the fenced area.

Site 1B sits southeast of site 1A and straddles both EPSDD and TCCS leased land, and is unused apart from a small incursion of the Bicentennial National Trail to the west.

That dog park could be 6000 to 8000 square metres in size.

Both would have the same amount of parking and facilities as the Franklin dog park. Key considerations are parking, safe vehicular access and egress, weed eradication, and for Site 1B, water.

The third possible site sits to the north of the Point Hut Pond District Park and is bounded by Point Hut Pond to the north and west, the District Park to the south and McGilvary Close to the east.

The land is relatively flat with a slight decline from the road and car park to the edge of the pond. A dog park there would cover between 4000 to 5500 square metres.

Factors to be considered include the close proximity to housing and the noise dogs will make.

This location won’t need a car park but will need an accessible path network or loop, as well as the other facilities.

The contractor, Enviro Links Design Pty Ltd, will need to conduct feasibility studies for all sites, consult with government and the public, develop sketch plans, and provide construction cost estimates.

The government is looking for functional and creative designs that will mean the dog parks are cost-effective to construct and maintain.

The dog parks will need to be inclusive and attractive enclosed spaces with accessible paths and recognisable entry points, as well as connectivity between entrances, with local path networks and parking.

Infrastructure should include dog agility equipment, irrigated green spaces, open spaces, seating, shade structures and other landscaping.

The parks should also include water-sensitive urban design and strategies to mitigate climate change.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, community and/or business should be included in the project and contribute to the design of functional elements, screening, artwork or plantings.

The contractor’s work should be completed by December when a tender for construction of the dog parks is expected to be released.

The contract is worth $109,000.