One paw forward, two paws back?

THE stand-off between Bundaberg Regional Council and environmental protection group Landcare continues over the proposed dog off-leash area at Nielson Park in Bargara.

At its ordinary meeting on Tuesday, the council agreed to table a 149-signature petition received from Landcare to abolish the dog leash free zone and redesignate the pasturage reserve as an environmental park within three years.

But Councillor Greg Barnes noted “a number of inaccuracies” and said the petition came well after the closure of the consultation period.

Cr Barnes yesterday told the NewsMail there had been extensive coverage of the 28-day consultation period, which ended on April 30.

“A number of press releases went out about it – it was a very topical issue in the community,” he said.

“To now make a submission – it’s just something I can’t support.”

But Michael Johnson, president of the Bundaberg and District Urban Landcare Association, said no attempt had been made to inform the group about the proposal, or the consultation period.

“Not once was this dog off-leash area mentioned to us,” he said.

“We have a community conservation advisory group which meets every three months with council.

“Landcare sit on that and council are supposed to tell us everything about pending conservation matters.”

However, Cr Barnes said that a Landcare member had made a personal submission in April.

“(Of) course they knew about it,” he said.

Mr Johnson believed the proposed section of Nielson Park had always been flagged for protection.

“We thought the Great Barrier Marine Park Advisory, which Greg Barnes sits on, had our back on this area and we did not have to keep an eye on it,” he said.

Cr Barnes said the council would look into the issues raised in the petition before making a decision.

“Council will decide whether to support the submission or say it’s too late,” he said.