March 2025 update: Feedback received is currently being considered to inform amendments to Council’s Dog and Cat Order 2019. Council officers have also been busy conducting on ground investigations. The draft amendments to the Order will be presented to the community as part of the consultation process for the new Domestic Animal Management Plan (DAMP 2026–2029) later this year.

Council is reviewing dog off-leash areas and prohibited areas (for dogs and cats) across the shire.

In 2020, the Macedon Ranges became a dog on-leash shire, introducing 52 designated dog off-leash areas.

At this same time, we also introduced prohibited areas to protect the shire’s sensitive native environment from the impact of dogs and cats.

We are now seeking your feedback on how these areas are working.

When considering dog on and off-leash areas, we need to balance the needs of dogs, dog owners and the wider community. We also need to consider the impact of dogs on the natural environment.

Thank you for your feedback

Feedback has now closed. Thank you to everyone who took the time to contribute.
You can click on each township below to look at the suggestions received.