Eaton dog area plans deferred

A proposal for a fenced dog area in Eaton will need further work after it was deferred at a Dardanup Shire Council committee meeting last week.

Eaton Townscape Committee members decided to postpone making a decision on the idea after they were unhappy with the information in the report presented at the meeting on June 3.

The council had been looking at an unused bowling green at the Eaton Bowling Club but councillors voted against the proposal at a meeting on March 9.

A working group was created at the meeting with councillors Carmel Boyce, James Lee and Patricia Perks looking into other options, including placing the fenced dog area along the Eaton Foreshore.

Dardanup shire president Mick Bennett said the committee decided to refer back to the working group to further investigate the idea.

“It’s a pretty big area that they were looking at so it would take up of a fair bit of the foreshore,” he said.

“I was concerned about the size of the fences proposed as well, they were looking at six-feet tall link mesh fencing.

“Just like with Glen Huon Oval, I don’t want fences that block the facility to other community members.”

Cr Bennett said he encouraged the working group to continue to work on the proposal with help from council staff.

“I wouldn’t be happy if the report had gone to the public for consultation as it was presented to the committee,” he said.

Cr Perks said she believed the proposal had prematurely gone to the committee meeting.

“The working group still needs more meetings and I don’t think it’s ready to be put out to people,” she said.

“We want it to be the best it can be before it goes out for public consultation.

“The foreshore is a beautiful area and I believe there is a lot of excitement for the project.”