Clarence City Council is a dog friendly city with a range of places to exercise your dog outside and in our natural areas.

We provide many off-lead and on-lead exercise areas across the city. There are also several areas that have dog restrictions (for part of the year or at all times). The restricted areas are generally to protect assets, natural environments, wildlife and provide a range of spaces for the community.

Each of our reserves, tracks and walkways have local signages indicating its unique dog restrictions, and this page has a map which broadly outlines where dogs are permitted and prohibited across the city.

There are four types of restrictions:

  1. Off-lead – must be under effective control
  2. On-lead at all times
  3. Restricted – different rules apply throughout the year
  4. Prohibited – not permitted on or off lead

At the South Street Dog Park in Bellerive we have a dedicated space for Greyhounds as well as vulnerable (small, injured etc) dogs.

For public land that is undeclared (in the Dog Control Act 2000, a dog is required to be under ‘effective control’.

Effective control means having your dog in close proximity, within line of sight, and immediately responsive to an owner’s command. 

Dog waste bins are located in many locations around our city in popular dog walking areas. Please use these bins to access waste bags and to deposit any dog litter. Not cleaning up after your dog may results in on the spot fines.

More information about this in Council’s Dog Management Policy

Off lead areas (under effective control)  

  • South Street Dog Park, Bellerive (when not being used by the Eastern Shore Dog Club) 
  • Anzac Park, Lindisfarne 
  • Charles Hand Park, Rosny 
  • Clarence Plains Riparian Reserve (off Goodwins and Reynolds Roads) 
  • Oakdowns Park, Oakdowns 
  • Richmond Recreation Reserve 
  • 6a Sugarloaf Road Risdon Vale (bounded by Grass Tree Hill Road, Sugarloaf Road and Linden Road) 
  • Montagu Bay Reserve (bounded by Conara Road and Rosny Esplanade) 
  • Shelly Beach, Opossum Bay (from Bangor Road to Icehouse Bluff) 
  • Tranmere Foreshore Reserve (Tranmere Point) 
  • Seven Mile Beach, Day Use Area 2 to Day Use Area 3  
  • Regional parks and bushland areas, which have not declared to be on-lead, or restricted to dogs, such as the Waverley Flora Park and many suburban parks where a sufficient area exists for dog exercise which is 10 metres away from play equipment. Please check local signage. 

On lead areas

  • 1a Beach Street, Bellerive (area immediately behind Luttrell Avenue) 
  • Shared trails and tracks such as the Clarence Foreshore Trail, Clarence Coastal Trail, all rivulet tracks and roadside tracks. This on-lead requirement extends to a distance of 2 metres on either side of the track.  
  • Chipmans Road, Rokeby 
  • Simmons Park, Lindisfarne 
  • Mortimer Bay Coastal Reserve (not including the beach area which is managed by Parks & Wildlife Service)  
  • Clarence Coastal Trail  
  • Richmond riverbanks 
  • Roches Beach, from Bambra Street, north to a point opposite 11 Kirra Road (from reef to reef) 
  • Rosny Hill Nature Recreation Area 
  • Wentworth Park Play Park, Howrah (excluding sports fields and practice areas) 
  • Second Bluff, Bellerive 
  • Bellerive Boardwalk  
  • All dune access tracks 

Restricted areas

Dogs are not permitted on the following council managed beaches between 10.00am and 6.00pm, from 1 December to 1 March each year.  At all other times, dogs may be exercised off lead, but must remain under effective control. 

  • Bellerive Beach (from Beach Street access east to Second Bluff)
  • Howrah Beach 
  • Cremorne Beach 
  • South Arm Beach 
  • Opossum Bay Beach 
  • Roches Beach (from Bambra Street south to Mays Point) 
  • Seven Mile Beach, west of Day Use Area 2 

Prohibited areas

  • Any grounds of a school, preschool, kindergarten, crèche or other place for the reception of children without the permission of a person in charge of the area 
  • Any shopping centre or any shop 
  • Any area within 10 metres of a children’s playground 
  • Little Howrah Beach 
  • Bellerive Beach (from Beach Street access west to First Bluff) 
  • Dune areas of exercise beaches and any dune track that runs parallel to the foreshore 
  • Bellerive Beach Play Park (excluding the Clarence Foreshore Trail where dogs may be walked on lead) 
  • Richmond Village Green 
  • Sporting recreation grounds and perimeters 
  • Pipe Clay Lagoon (from a point opposite 91 Cremorne Avenue – west to a point opposite 201 Cremorne Avenue) 
  • Racecourse Flats, Lauderdale 

Training areas 

South Street Reserve, Bellerive is a training area when the area is being used by the Eastern Shore Dog Club. Dogs using this training area are considered to be under effective control if they are actively engaged with their owners.