Victoria Road Reserve is a small and busy park in Hawthorn East with a sporting oval and playground. Every day of the week, the park is alive with community activity.

Before the park was upgraded with new turf and new cricket nets, a community petition asked us to consider changing the park to allow dogs off-lead.

Have your say

Should this local park change to allow dogs off-lead? Or should it stay as an on-lead park?

Would changing this help or hinder park users’ enjoyment of this public space?

We’re seeking all views on this. We want to make sure everyone, big and small, who uses the park gets to have fun and they’re safe.

Note: The City of Boroondara’s usual approach is to apply either on-lead or off-lead status to each park. Off-lead park rules include the requirement for dogs to be on-lead during sports training and events (see ‘Rules’ below). This approach enables everyone to understand and follow the rules for any park, which minimises the risk of non-compliance.

Therefore, the options for this park are either to remain on-lead or change to off-lead.


How's the park being used?

  • Sporting oval

    A junior football club plays on the oval in winter, and senior and junior cricket teams in summer. The oval has newly refurbished turf.

  • Playground

    Young children are in and around the park given the surrounding facilities and activities.

  • Dog walking, picnics and more

    Locals and visitors enjoy exercising, relaxing, walking their dogs on lead and having picnics in the park.

  • Scout hall

    Cubs, scouts and rovers attend the nearby Scout Hall, with children aged 5 to 17 years old. They also use the oval, typically once a week, more often in the summer. The hall is also hired out for a Sunday school.

  • Kindergarten and childcare centre

    Every day up to 50 children aged between 3 and 5 years of age attend the nearby centre. Children are picked up and dropped off around the centre in the morning, midday and end of the day. The centre's playground overlooks the park, and dogs can come right up to the fence.

  • Maternal child health centre

    This nearby centre provides a free service for all families with children aged from birth to school age. It’s open most days of the week for families and young children. It’s also hired out for Sunday school for kids in primary school.

  • Train commuters

    The park is near Auburn train station, so commuters walk through it. Higher-density housing is encouraged here as part of the Victorian Government's 'train and tram zone activity centres'.

  • Cricket nets

    Senior and junior cricket is played with the new cricket nets in the summer. The nets are also enjoyed by the community year-round.

Off-lead and on-lead parks nearby

There are 3 parks nearby, with options for park users who prefer dogs on lead and those who prefer dogs off-lead.


Rules for dogs in all parks

At Victoria Road Reserve, this means dogs must be on-lead during sports training and events. When the oval is not being used for sports, dog walkers would have the flexibility to exercise dogs on-lead or off-lead, depending on the decision from Councillors following this consultation.


Additional rules for dogs in off-lead parks

Even in off-lead parks or areas, dogs must be on a lead:


Dogs must be under 'effective control' when in a dog off-lead park, which means: