DOGS will have to be kept on a tight leash at Croudace Bay's Thomas H Halton Park as Lake Macquarie council brings in changes to the rules.
New signs will be installed this week outlining the changes which the council says will improve safety for all park users.
Lake Macquarie City Council asset management manager Rob Morris said the new rules will also reduce the chances of dogs running onto or across the shared pathway in the area.
"We understand how much the community values Thomas H Halton Park as a place to exercise and socialise their dogs," he said.
"That's why most of the area previously zoned as off-leash will stay that way, but these changes will balance the needs of all park users, protect the environment and ensure with comply with the Companion Animals Act."
Under the act, off-leash areas must be 10 metres from playgrounds and barbecue areas, which is why dogs being walked along the footpath skirting the western side of the playground must now be kept on a leash.
Mr Morris said the council would allow for a four-week grace period, with rangers onsite during that time to educate park users about the change.
"Many people in Lake Mac adore dogs but having them bounding up unrestrained to families and young children entering and exiting the playground is not everyone's idea of a good time," he said.
Time restrictions already in place in the park will remain.
Mr Morris said the introduction of new off-leash areas was in line with the council's Dogs in Open Spaces Strategy.
"We have one of the highest rates of dogs ownership in NSW here in Lake Mac, and we want to make sure we provide places right across our city for them to get outdoors with their owners," he said.
Plans are also underway for two new off-leash areas later this year, one at Myuna Bay foreshore off Wangi Road and on Nords Wharf Oval on Crangan Bay Road.
