Community & Business
3 December, 2025
Proposal for off leash dog park
A special meeting was held on Friday afternoon at the Pittsworth Function Centre to discuss the establishment of an off leash dog park in town.
The fourteen people who attended the meeting seemed intent on pursuing the establishment of a welcoming, well-designed space where dogs can socialise and exercise freely, while fostering positive interactions among local residents.
Discussion was had about possible locations, funding and amenities.
Correspondence between Pittsworth District Alliance (PDA) and the Planning Department of Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) have brought forth two potential areas.
The initial location identified was between the skate park and Hound Dog Fit in Yandilla Street.
However, TRC has specified that this location is not fully owned by Council and the portion it does own, is not suitable at this time for community use.
An alternative location proposed by TRC was a 5017.5 square metre site at Rotaract Park on the corner of Murray Street and Hill Street East.
One person suggested that the first location could be utilised as an unfenced off leash dog park, and the second location as a fenced off leash dog park.
Toowoomba Region Community Development Officer, Amee Hetherington, said from a Council future works and planning perspective, there is no budget or timeframe around the possibility of a future off leash dog area at this time.
This has been the case for at least some other dog parks such as Millmerran, where the project was community funded.
The PDA and Pittsworth Lions Club may be willing to assist in obtaining government and community grant funds for the project.
Another alternative is fundraising in the community.
A list of possible amenities for the off leash dog park was discussed including:
Adequate fencing
Safe entrance and exit facilities
Separate large and small dog areas
Water and dog bags
Dog exercise equipment
People facilities - seating, shade, picnic tables etc.
It was suggested that having tables and other facilities for people in the park could be potentially dangerous, as dogs are less likely to fight one another, if their humans are moving around and interacting with them.
There was a definite emphasis on community at the meeting, with the ultimate focus being man’s best friend.
The next step for the group is to be intentional about preparing a proposal, and with Ms Hetherington’s assistance, present plans to the TRC Planning and Parks committee.
She suggested nutting out a project scope including non-negotiables, and having a backup plan.
In order to begin this process, some people present at the meeting volunteered to be part of a Working Party, to get the ball rolling toward a proposal for TRC.
