Work has begun on the new Franklin Dog Park, located in the open space bound by Nullarbor Avenue and Oodgeroo Avenue.

Major works are expected to take approximately nine months to complete (weather permitting), meaning Gungahlin dog owners should be able to use it next summer.

The new fully fenced dog park will be the third in Gungahlin and the eighth in Canberra.

Its design follows community consultation in 2022.

Key features include:

• 2,870m² fenced recreational area
• Accessible loop path within the perimeter of the dog park
• Gravel car park with seven car spaces, including two accessible spaces and four bike rails
• Picnic shelter, seating and drinking fountain
• Dog agility area with some play elements including low and tall bar jumps, weave poles, pyramid ramp, hoop tunnels and log balance beams
• Irrigated grass area for ball and frisbee play
• Dog poo bag dispensers and bins.

There will also be 48 new trees planted for canopy cover, and additional shade once matured.

The ACT has one of Australia’s highest rates of pet ownership. Community feedback revealed Canberrans want space for their dogs to run free and a variety of terrains for dogs to explore and use their sense of smell.

Fenced dog exercise areas contribute to the effective management of dogs in public spaces by providing a controlled space where dogs can freely exercise and play. They also assist in alleviating the pressure on shared recreational areas.

There are several other projects currently underway across Canberra to provide more recreational opportunities for people and their dogs.

The new fenced dog park planned for the Lanyon Valley will provide more spaces for southsiders to to socialise and exercise their dogs.

The Lanyon Valley dog park will include many of the same features as Franklin, including a grass play and agility areas, shade structures and seating.

A construction tender for that park will be released around the middle of the year.

Improvements to public open spaces present additional opportunities for on-leash dog walks.

These include improvements to the Tuggeranong foreshore, which are nearly complete, and upgrades to the Lake Ginninderra path circuit and Yerrabi Pond District Park.

Stay up to date on the suburban infrastructure projects being delivered, including playgrounds, local shopping centres and dog parks, at cityservices.act.gov.au/bettersuburbs.

The park will be located in the open space bound by Nullarbor Avenue and Oodgeroo Avenue.

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