Dog Off-leash & Prohibited Areas

If you’d like to exercise your dog in open off-leash spaces Shoalhaven City Council has 20 plus off-leash areas that you and your dog can enjoy together.  

Find out about using off-leash areas including regulations you should be aware of, and prohibited spaces where you should not take your dog. 

Off-leash & prohibited areas

• Shoalhaven Heads
• Berry
• Bomaderry
• Nowra Showground
• Worrigee
• Greenwell Point
• Culburra
• Currarong
• Callala Beach
• Huskisson
• Vincentia
• Sanctuary Point
• Basin View
• Swan Lake
• Berrara
• Bendalong
• Lake Conjola
• Milton
• Narrawallee
• Mollymook
• Mollymook/Ulladulla
• Lake Tabourie
• Bawley Point

If your town isn’t listed above you can take your dog on the beach, but it needs to be on a leash. When there are no specific prohibited areas in your town the general prohibited areas list still applies. 

Prohibited areas

Dogs are prohibited in the following places throughout the Shoalhaven even if they are on a leash or otherwise controlled:

• Children’s play areas
• Food preparation/consumption areas
• Recreation areas where dogs are prohibited
• Public bathing areas where dogs are prohibited
• School grounds
• Child care centres
• Shopping areas where dogs are prohibited
• Wildlife protection areas 

See our Dog Off-Leash Guide to learn more about prohibited areas, including endangered shore bird nest sites. 

Further information 

Council encourages responsible pet ownership and we provide equal access to parks and open spaces for dog owners to exercise their dogs. 

Our Dog Off-Leash Guide provides information for pet owners on the location and use requirements of Off-Leash areas in the Shoalhaven Local Government Area. 

Dogs are required to be on a leash at all times except when in an Off-Leash Area. Dogs are only permitted to be ‘off-leash’ in designated Council managed areas and must be under the control of a competent person at all times. 

Pet owners also need to be aware of the following:

• Restricted breed dogs or dogs declared dangerous or menacing are not permitted in off-leash areas
• Person in charge of the dog must immediately remove the dog’s faeces and properly dispose of them
• A dog must have a collar around its neck and there must be attached to the collar a name tag that shows the name of the dog and the address or telephone number of the owner of the dog
• All off-leash areas are regularly patrolled and all regulations enforced 

On the spot penalties apply for non-compliance.