Mitchell Shire Mayor John Dougall, community members Val and Ian Leister, state Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes, Mitchell Shire councillor Ned Jeffery and local pup Sweet Pea at the new dog-friendly space in Seymour’s Chittick Park.
Photo by
Billie Davern
A group of local pups and people got the first look at Seymour’s new dog-friendly space on Thursday, as the Chittick Park site officially opened to the community.
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Located behind the Seymour Tennis Complex, the park boasts a range of features for the furry friends of the community.
Purpose-built, the fully fenced space includes a digging pit, obstacles such as logs and stepping stones, a number of sensory features and a dedicated shy dog zone.
As the dog park opened on October 8, Mitchell Shire Mayor John Dougall praised locals for their significant input in bringing the space to life.
“This project is an outcome of listening to the community,” Cr Dougall said.
State Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes officially opened Seymour’s new dog-friendly space at Chittick Park.
Photo by
Billie Davern
He said space was a key recommendation made by local residents in response to council’s Chittick Park master plan.
“It’s (the community’s) ideas that led to this need being identified and being prioritised,” Cr Dougall said.
“It’s the community here, it’s the residents who fought for this, that now have an outcome.”
Mitchell Shire Mayor John Dougall said he was proud of the project.
Photo by
Billie Davern
The project was delivered in partnership with the Victorian Government under the New and Upgraded Dog Parks Program.
The government contributed $166,500 to the dog park’s delivery, with council co-contributing $66,500.
State Member for Northern Victoria and Environment Minister Jaclyn Symes, who officially declared the park open, said the grants program had supported 45 new and upgraded dog parks across the state.
“People love their dogs and they need opportunities to find places in their communities that are safe, secure and are a great opportunity to bring people together, too,” Ms Symes said.
“Importantly, the latest round includes 26 projects, and 14 of these are in regional Victoria.”
The new dog park has Dusty’s tick of approval.
Photo by
Billie Davern
She said attending the opening offered an opportunity to hear about how this project would benefit the local community.
“I’ve had feedback from (local residents) Ian and Val that (pup) Sweet Pea has given it the tick of approval,” Ms Symes said.
“It’s a great opportunity to hear firsthand about what is already an asset that’s being appreciated by our locals.”
The new dog-friendly space boasts a large variety of obstacles, surfaces, and even a sectioned-off area for shy dogs.
Photo by
Billie Davern
Cr Dougall thanked Ms Symes and the Victorian Government for co-funding the project, and Goulburn Valley Water for donating a water fountain for the site.
“Today, the project comes to life. It only comes to life when our four-legged friends get to run around, and we’ve seen firsthand what that looks like,” Cr Dougall said.
“Mitchell Shire is proud of this, we’re proud that we’ve been able to deliver it and we hope it is a much-loved space for many years to come.
“I think this is a great outcome of listening, partnering and delivering.”
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