Walking your dog

Changes to Dog Walking Areas
We have made some changes to off-leash and on-leash dog walking areas, with 8 new locations to walk your dog off leash, commencing from 12 May 2026. 

New off-leash dog walking locations (previously on-leash or dogs prohibited areas): 
• Camp Cove Reserve, Watsons Bay 
• Cooper Park Upper / Amphitheatre 
• Percival Park, Rose Bay 
• Signal Hill Reserve, Vaucluse 
• Woollahra Ovals 2&3, Rose Bay (certain hours only: 3.30pm - 10.30am)
• Robertson Park and Beach, Watsons Bay - between Yacht Club and Ferry Wharf (certain hours only: 3.30pm - 10.30am)
• Steyne Park Sportsfield, Double Bay (certain hours only: 5.00pm - 8.30am)
• Moncur Reserve, Woollahra 

We have also extended off-leash dog walking hours at Lower Cooper Park Sportsfield, Lough Playing Fields and Dumaresq Reserve.

Five more off-leash areas that we’ve approved will require some playground fencing upgrades to make sure they’re safe and appropriate for local children, and we will share details on these locations in the coming months once this work is completed.

New on-leash dog walking locations (previously dog prohibited areas): 
• Tingira Memorial Park & adjacent Beach, Rose Bay 
• Derby Street Reserve, Vaucluse 
• Murray Rose Pool, Double Bay to the café level. 

See a full list of current dog-walking locations and hours below.

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Where to walk your dog

Taking your dog for a walk is the perfect way to have fun and stay fit. It is also an effective way to reduce barking problems and socialise your dog.

Whether you want your dog to have a run off the lead or you want to take them for a swim, Woollahra has somewhere for you and your dog to enjoy.

You must keep your dog on a lead at all times when in public unless in a sign-posted off-leash area. The penalty may exceed $330. 

Remember to take a bag or two to pick up your dog's poo because no one likes stepping in it. The penalty may exceed $275.

Dogs are welcome at many different parks and reserves in Woollahra. The information below outlines where dogs are allowed off-leash, on-leash and areas where they are prohibited.

Off-leash areas

New on-leash areas changed from dogs prohibited

Four parks have changed from dogs prohibited to on-leash at all times, as listed in the table below.

All parks not listed in the off-leash or prohibited tables on this page default to dogs permitted on-leash at all times, in accordance with the Companion Animals Act 1998.

Where dogs are prohibited at all times

There are some parts of our local area where dogs aren’t allowed.

Dogs are generally prohibited, by the Companion Animals Act 1998, from the following public areas:

  • children's play areas - dogs must not enter a playground and must be a minimum of 10 metres from any playing equipment provided for children.
  • food preparation/consumption areas - dogs must be a minimum of 10 metres from any area where food is prepared or consumed unless the food is being consumed in an outdoor dining area. In this case, a dog is permitted to be in the area as long as it is leashed, on the ground, and is not fed by the owner. If the outdoor dining area is within an off-leash dog park, the dog is permitted to be unleashed, fed, and sit on the owner's lap as long as they do not make contact with any utensils or the table and chairs.
  • childcare centres, school grounds and shopping complexes.

In addition, Council has prohibited dogs, even from being on lead from the following parks, reserves and public places:

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