Tamworth Regional Council to upgrade George St Basin off-leash area

Sporting clubs that frequent the Riverside sport fields, and Tamworth Regional Council staff have been doing it 'ruff', having to remove dog poo from the fields before games.

But upgrades to a near by off-leash dog park are bound to get everyone's tails wagging again.

Work is underway to construct two new fenced areas, water drinking stations, shade shelters and seating at the George St Basin dog park.

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A spokesperson for council said the land, which has been branded "underdeveloped" and "inappropriate" for motor vehicle use, will be upgraded to encourage responsible pet ownership.

"Many community members incorrectly use the Riverside sporting fields as off leash areas," the spokesperson said.

"The upgrade of this facility will give dog owners another space that is easily accessible along the Riverside shared path."

The project, which has been funded by federal government's Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program, is anticipated to allow dogs to be off-leash in a large fenced area, "without impacting sporting groups and recreational play spaces".

After a dog attack resulted in a child being bitten in June last year, council cracked down on dogs being off-leash.

Owners can be slapped with an $1100 if their dog is off-leash within 10 metres of a children's playground.

Smaller fines apply to more general off-leash incidents.

Work to install new fences will start in March and is expected to take two weeks.

Once the fences are installed, irrigation and furniture installation is expected to be complete by June 30.

Work will be carried out between 7am and 5pm on weekdays, in a bid to ensure the works have "minimal impact" on residents close by.

Powerhouse Park, Oxley Dog Training Area, Jewry Park and Chauvel Park all operate as designated off-leash areas.

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