Dog owners are expected to show up in force at the Blue Mountains council meeting on Tuesday night where plans to close off-leash access to Pitt Park in Wentworth Falls are to be debated.
It's proposed the off-leash area be moved to Murray Park on Falls Road instead, much to the anger and disappointment of members of the Blue Mountains Dog Off-leash Group.
Group founder Leigh Collins said Murray Park was not suitable for people with disabilities and said parking would be an issue of a weekend on busy Falls Road.
It's proposed that council spend $56,000 on infrastructure at Murray Park, including fencing, signage, seating and bubbler.
But Mr Collins was doubtful the fencing would eventuate. "I don't think we will ever see a fence around Murray Park. Words, words, words from council," he said.
In 15 years of discussions with council around dog off-leash areas, it was only in the past two years Pitt Park had seen an extension in hours and the provision of dog poo pick-up bags, Mr Collins said.
The relocation to Murray Park was identified in a council report as necessary because of conflict between the athletics club and dog owners.
“Due to the nature of athletics as an individual sport, it appears less obvious to dog walkers when booked … dog walkers remain using the track area despite athletics having it booked by runners or field event athletes. This is when conflict between users can be evident,” the report notes.
The report also identified some issues between the off-leash dogs and the dog training club using the grounds for on-leash training.
Mr Collins planned to suggest at the council meeting that all users of Pitt Park got together with council to discuss the issue and work out a way forward together, without shifting the off-leash area elsewhere.
"Off-leash areas have no greater incidence of dogs attacking people than any other parks," he said.
The council also reviewed introducing a dog off-leash area in Lapstone, but found no suitable areas.
The decision to move the off-leash area from Pitt Park to Murray Park was deferred at the September council meeting in favour of further public consultation.
Some 99 surveys were completed in October, with 75 per cent against moving the off-leash area from Pitt Park to Murray Park. However, when asked if they would support Murray Park being an off-leash area if infrastructure were installed, 60 per cent were in favour.