Katherine's first-ever fenced dog park is almost finished.
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The project follows years of lobbying from a small contingent of dog owners who originally wanted the park to be located at the showgrounds, but have had to settle for the Lockheed Park site.
High fences have been erected around shady trees and a permanent park table, and low-to-the-ground water bowls and a tap have been installed.
Katherine Town Council had just $18,000 from the 2018/19 budget for the project and have delivered a fenced park measuring about 40 metres by 40 metres.
Katherine's first dedicated off-leash dog park has been years in the making, with one community member at the forefront - Lori Martin - who says the battle has been long and fraught with stress.
Four locations were put forward for consideration, Casuarina Park in Katherine East, the Civic Centre, Lockheed Park and the Katherine Showgrounds.
The dog owners had set their hearts on the Katherine Showgrounds, a location they had already been taking their furry companions to every Saturday morning for years.
They would have settled for the Civic Centre, but Lockheed Park was always relegated to the bottom of the list, mainly due to the lack of a safe off-road parking site for people to unload their dogs.
Katherine Town Council surveyed 118 community members at the Katherine Show, last year in July, seeking feedback on a location and desired amenities.
"Of the respondents, nearly 40 per cent indicated a preference for the park to be located in Katherine East and as such an assessment of all Katherine East Parks was undertaken," a council document says.
The document says there are currently no suitable locations for a dog park in Katherine East, but "given the population density of Katherine East and the growth of the area, future planning consideration must be made to allow for facilities, such as this, in the future".
"With the unsuitability of parks in the Katherine East area, a secondary assessment was conducted on council owned land/parks throughout Katherine, with particular focus on the next preferred location, Katherine North (18 per cent).
"The secondary location assessment noted suitable locations at both Lockheed Park (Katherine North) and the Katherine Town Council Civic Centre Lawns (CBD).
"Officers have assessed the suitable locations and identified that of the two locations, Lockheed Park offers better access to residents and as such is recommended by officers as the suitable location for the fenced dog park."
A Katherine Town Council spokeswoman has today confirmed an official opening of the dog park once plumbing, fences and the sign are complete.
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