Dogs and Parks in Oz.

[Teeto]

We have recently acquired a pup and will be cruising in Oz. I know the general wisdom is that dogs are not allowed on shore in National Parks, even below High Tide level, however my research shows that only recently declared National Parks have their boundary at the low water mark. Maritime is jealous of the tidal zone and has been reluctant to hand it over to NP until relatively recently. So I suspect that it is actually legal to have dogs onshore (on a lead) in many tidal areas adjacent to NP, they just don't want you to know it.
Can anyone with some legal knowledge clarify the situation?

[Coops]

Not a legal expert by any means, but I thought that most NP's are surrounded by Marine NPs. Understand where you are at, we have a dog as well, but are prevented from entering any NP with her. No help at all to you really, but you would have to be sure of your facts, and be prepared to fight in court for them, before pushing the issue.

Coops.

[Teeto]

Interesting point. Marine parks are all being extended, so you may be right and they will be adjacent soon. At the moment I know of lots of NPs where you can fish nearby. Will check it out, thanks.

[svstrider]

In oz forget taking your dog any where in a national park or marine park. I have been threatened with a #$350 fine for having my dog on a sand bank in the Great Sandy Straits. Even if he is swimming they want to fine me.

another reason I have left Oz. Bureaucracy gone mad.

HOWEVER, I have HEARD of some criminals taking their pets ashore before dawn and after dusk in some NP areas. In fact on Lizard Island the NP gestapo went round to doggie boats saying that they hed noticed dog prints on the beach and were going to take paw prints to find the doggie offenders. It is said to be quite a busy time after dark on some islands with doggie get togethers.

yet NP employees have been responsible for a huge fire on Whitsunday Island a few years ago and aborigines love to leave turtles baking on their backs on the beaches north of Cooktown overnight having been "traditionally " gathered with tinnie and outboard, awaiting a feast in a few days time.
Another pastime in far north queensland is walking dogs and returning turtles to the ocean after dark - just rumours

[gunnado]

Dogs under control should be allowed in national parks!

It used to be the Aussie culture to have a dog and light a fire in the bush. Soon fires even for cooking may be totally banned too!

There is risks with dogs and fires but I believe they can be managed by competent people if they understand the risks.

This is a sore point for me because i had a dog and camped at spot on the ovens river in this same spot for over 15 years, no problems. Now it's a national park and it's illegal!

You have to decide if you want a dog or if you want to travel out doors in Australia, very hard to do both.

[Normanby]

This issue drives me mental.


My dog is well trained and obedient, and always under my control, on lead or off.

I've had rangers threaten to shoot her on the spot, and of course I've been fined often.

And this is in National Parks where logging, some mining, and even cattle grazing is allowed.

It's all very "Minority Report"
We're being penalized not for an actual crime, but some safetycrat's idea of the LIKELIHOOD of a crime (the death of native animals).

Sorry for the whining rant, just my pet hate.
Pun intended.

[Teeto]

Originally Posted by Teeto

Interesting point. Marine parks are all being extended, so you may be right and they will be adjacent soon. At the moment I know of lots of NPs where you can fish nearby. Will check it out, thanks.

When I get home in a few weeks, I am going to investigate the legality of some of the issues raised here. Like swimming with a dog off a NP. I shall report back.

[RaymondR]

It's not just dogs in national parks it's all sorts of other stuff and short of spending your life consulting lawyers, downloading and reading regulations and reviewing all the court decisions in order to understand the myriad subtle interpretations the courts apply it's pretty difficult to avoid infringing the law, and sometimes even if you have not dodging the convenient and imaginative interpretations applied by their "revenuers".

They have now perfected their extortionate methods with mobile data devices to check whether you have outstanding fines, laws that allow them to just drop the summons in the mail and it is then "deemed" to have been properly served, regulation which allow them to keep increasing the original fine if you demand an explanation as to whether any of their actions are actually lawful etc.

The two practical solutions are leave the country or become outlaw.

[gunnado]

Or wait for someone with intelligence to run national parks and change the regulation. Might be a long wait..........

[Teeto]

Dogs on beaches.
A bit more info. A woman sailing in Queensland says she has contacted rangers there and they told her that dogs are allowed on a lead, on beaches adjacent to National Parks, below high tide level, so long as there is not a marine park adjacent to the NP.
I have spoken yesterday to bigwigs in the Dept of Conservation etc in SA. They said boundaries for NPs are at the high tide level, that dogs on a lead are fine below this level (if no marine park) and also remarked that they would not be surprised if rangers did not know the legalities of the legislation.


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[Barra]

Originally Posted by Teeto

Dogs on beaches.
A bit more info. A woman sailing in Queensland says she has contacted rangers there and they told her that dogs are allowed on a lead, on beaches adjacent to National Parks, below high tide level, so long as there is not a marine park adjacent to the NP.
I have spoken yesterday to bigwigs in the Dept of Conservation etc in SA. They said boundaries for NPs are at the high tide level, that dogs on a lead are fine below this level (if no marine park) and also remarked that they would not be surprised if rangers did not know the legalities of the legislation.


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Our understanding from Jervis Bay NSW (marine park bordering NP) where we spend a fair bit of time is that dogs are not banned from the marine park and therefore are able to exist anywhere within the marine park - this includes beaches to high tide level bordering NPs

We have been threatened by NP rangers several times but no fines as they technically cant do so and they know it. Doesnt stop the attempted intimidation though.

Eventually I nsuppose some officious type will try and get the regulations changed to ban dogs from marine parks as ludicrous as that sounds but until then you are within your rights to have one of these ferocious animals with you in a MP so tell those nazi types to rack off!

Having spent the last 4 months in the med its really sad to come home and be reminded of just how low we as a nation have sunk in terms of safety nazisim and all the ills that spring from it

[Teeto]

Thanks Barra, that confirms what I found out. So stand your ground, the Rangers don't know all. Just watch out for 1080 poison - it is supposed to be at least 100 metres from the beach but ..........


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[Teeto]

By the way there may be moves in the right direction. The Delta Dog training Association is currently negotiating with government to allow dogs that achieve Gold level Good Canine Citizen Awards, be allowed wherever service dogs are currently allowed. That means almost everywhere. Mind you Gold Level is a very high level of obedience.
Good incentive to train 'em!


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