Doggie bags pooh-poohed

By Lia Bichel
CASEY dog owners will have to pick up after their pets after the council announced it is removing litter bins and bag dispensers from three sites because they were found to be ineffective.
The three sites are in Minihans Reserve in Monahans Road, Cranbourne, Ray Bastin Reserve in Narre Warren and Sydney Pargeter Reserve in Endeavour Hills.
A report by the council’s engineering and environment manager, David Richardson, said the maintenance or expansion of the project would be slapped with an expensive price tag.
The report said there were 54 recreation sites, 1300 neighbourhood parks and walkways and 20 major park sites in the City of Casey where dog litter could be an issue.
Mr Richardson said if the council installed and then emptied bins twice a week to just one-third of these areas, estimated costs would be $160,000 to set up, $145,000 for an annual litter bin service and $132,000 for annual bag supply.
Casey resident Shaun Blamire thought having the bins and bag dispensers was useful, but he said he always took his own bags when taking his chocolate labrador Fraser for a walk.
“Sometimes I notice that other people haven’t cleaned up their dog’s mess,” he said.
“They might not know where to get the bags, but you can buy them at your local supermarket. I always take my own. I think it’s the dog owner’s responsibility to clean up after their pet.”
Mr Richardson also said owners should take more responsibility and be less reliant on the council. He wrote in his report that there was a concern that residents would get “caught out” if they were in a reserve where bags were not provided.
“The message needs to be clear that residents are responsible for managing their own pet waste in all circumstances and the council cannot be responsible for facilitating this,” he said.
“The best outcome is for pet owners to carry dog waste bags and collect and dispose of their pet’s waste correctly whether they are walking in a street or park.”