DOG owners are barking mad over some proposed changes to off-leash areas across Lake Macquarie.
The council has changes to 21 parks in its sights, but residents at Croudace Bay and Redhead are concerned it has overstepped the mark.
Roanne Morris takes her pets to the off-leash area at Croudace Bay most mornings, and said plans to cut back on the unfenced area are "nonsensical" - moving them into a swampy area at times when most members of the public aren't there.
"If the dog owners weren't there, the park would be empty at those times," she said.
"I don't understand for a community asset and easily one of the best dog parks in Australia, why keep the park empty when people could be using it?
"I feel they have gone zero to 100 very quickly without trying other things first."
The council plans to remove the current time restrictions to allow off-leash use in the new spot at all times. But, Ms Morris said the area that's been chosen is usually swamped with mud and inaccessible to elderly people that use the park.
"It's a community, it's not just an off-leash park," she said.
"I'm really concerned about the psychological impacts of this on the elderly community who go down there with reduced mobility, this is good for their psychological health and wellbeing as well as their physical health."
The council is in its second round of consultation and argues the changes aim to find the right balance between dog owners, the environment and the community to keep everyone happy.
Community Assets section manager Brendan Callander recently said the proposed changes were in direct response to a suitability assessment completed for each site, and community feedback collected earlier this year.
"That hasn't just come from dog owners. It's also people using these various areas who might interact with dogs. Sometimes that's a positive interaction, other times perhaps not so much, and we need to take all of that into account," he said.
It plans to remove the on-leash section between First and Second Creek at Redhead, effectively banning dogs from the surf life saving club to Second Creek.
The off-leash area would remain unchanged south of Second Creek.
Residents like Leah McGovern are concerned the move will put pressure on already limited parking at Cain Street.
"I'm annoyed that there's no infrastructure on Cain Street to cope with the parking on warmer days as it is, it's just a tarred carpark with no lines," she said.
"The visibility is really awful as you come up to the carpark, so it's a bit of a traffic hazard as well."
More than 800 responses were received in the first round.
To give feedback, visit the council's website.
