Dog ban to be done in stages

A dog ban is going to be introduced at some sporting ovals in Parkes and it will be done using a staged approach. A report has come back to Parkes Sports Council after its chairperson Al Gersbach addressed Parkes Shire Council's meeting in May requesting it close the town's sporting fields to dogs. The ban has emerged because a number of owners continue to ignore the rules to clean up after their dogs on sporting grounds and specifically impacts Harrison Park and its Parker-Stone Field, Cheney Oval and Woodward Oval, and Peak Hill's Lindner Oval. Council's acting director of planning and community services Annalise Teale attended the sports council's meeting on 10 June, confirming the ban can go ahead. The minutes of this Parkes Sports Council meeting were tabled at Council's monthly meeting on 17 June. "We have investigated signage changes to prohibit dogs on sporting fields and can confirm that this can be done," Ms Teale told the sports council, as reported in its minutes. "To support the change we can arrange for rangers to do regular patrols of the sporting fields." Ms Teale also suggested a communications plan will need to be prepared to advise the community of the changes. The sports council decided to introduce the ban over the following stages: 1. A communications plan be implemented. 2. Ranger to hand out warnings for violation of existing bylaws. 3. Fines introduced. 4. Review with sporting groups.