For Kiama residents and their canine companions, Kiama Council is one step closer to finally resolving the saga of the Jamberoo Fenced Off Leashed Area.

The Jamberoo FOLA construction of putting up fences was completed months ago, with Kiama Council claiming it was showing commitment “to thoughtful and inclusive public space planning” by entering the next phase of development with public exhibition.

“Taking the time to refine the design means we can deliver a space that’s safe, inclusive and enjoyable for everyone in the community,” Kiama Mayor Cameron McDonald said.

The Bugle asked Councillor Stuart Larkins if those representing the Kiama Local Government Area should be advocating for a quicker turnaround on projects like the Jamberoo FOLA, to which Larkins broadly agreed but did explain why the process may be considered to take longer than it should.

“I would have preferred that it happened a lot earlier so that way, we probably would not have had these delays that we’ve experienced,” Cr Larkins said.

“I guess the issue when it comes to infrastructure projects such as a fenced dog park, but also a number of other community infrastructure projects, you need to have community co-design processes in place early on.

“That way the community of Kiama has input into what the final product will be.”

For some residents who are looking for that autumn glow, Jamberoo FOLA might not be the place to be as Kiama Council is considering shading options and also bubblers and sealed paths.

Cr. Larkins told The Bugle that the process is not as simple as just putting up a fence, taking the lead off and throwing the ball for the 9000 dogs that are registered within the Kiama LGA.

“There is the Dog Friendly Spaces Strategy (2025 – 2030) which we endorsed a couple of months ago,” Cr. Larkins said.

“That’s taken a number of years to work on. We absolutely needed to get that strategy done for a number of different reasons.

“It identified new and updated areas of dog places to go to. Previously there was nothing designated in Jamberoo.”

The Dog Friendly Spaces Strategy (2025-2025) which Kiama Council adopted in June encourages residents to engage with the public exhibition of the Jamberoo FOLA to ensure that Council gets this right. 

“There are obviously some legislative requirements about where dogs should and shouldn’t be going,” Cr Larkins said.

“There are rules around dogs near playgrounds, so it was about enforcing that process.”

Cr Larkins first tabled a petition to Council for a fenced off-leashed dog park within the Kiama LGA at the Kiama Council Ordinary Meeting of June 2022.

The Jamberoo FOLA is funded with $75,600 from the NSW government’s Local Small Commitments Allocation program with Kiama Council contributing an additional $70,000 from developer contributions.

Cr Larkins encourages Kiama LGA residents to take up their civic duties and engage with the community consultation for the Jamberoo FOLA which includes the option to vote on five options and ends midnight Monday 24 November 2025.

For more information on the Jamberoo FOLA: click here

To provide feedback to the community consultation for Jamberoo FOLA: click here

To view the Dog Friendly Space Strategy (2025 -2030): click here