DOGS Victoria will open the entirety of its 74-acre dog park in Skye to the public for the first time since it was bought in the early 1980s, as part of a $12 million upgrade to be delivered over the next decade.
Only about half the property has been used since the purchase, with access previously restricted to Dogs Victoria members, under conditions tied to the organisation’s planning permit with Frankston City Council.
A new ‘Community Member category will open the site to the wider public for the first time, though members of the public will still be required to join Dogs Victoria under council rules.
Chief Executive of Dogs Victoria, Kirk Edwards, said community membership would likely be charged as an annual fee, working out to roughly $3 to $4 a week, though final costings had not yet been set.
“We’re not-for-profit, so there’s no opportunity for us to make a profit out of this,” Edwards said.
The expansion will include six purpose-built off-lead areas tailored to different dog sizes, behaviours and activity levels, including dedicated zones for small dogs, large dogs, agility activities and dogs that need to exercise one-on-one, away from others.
“A lot of people want the privacy, so we’ll have some isolated zones where if your dog doesn’t mix with other dogs, then certainly they can go there off leash,” he said.
New additions will include walking tracks and a new onsite cafe, alongside the park’s existing dam and facilities used for obedience, agility, retrieving and other competitive dog sports.
The organisation had also fielded interest from animal welfare groups, including the Lost Dog’s Home and greyhound rescue organisations, about the possibility of using the space to exercise dogs that have limited options elsewhere.
At its core, Edwards said Dogs Victoria’s role was to uphold breeding and health standards for dogs in Victoria under the national body Dogs Australia, and to educate owners.
“Unfortunately, people are returning dogs to the RSPCA in such numbers, and Lost Dogs Home is full as well, and that’s because people have bought the wrong dog.
“So just being able to educate people before you buy this dog… that’s the type of work we do,” he told The Times.
Edwards said Dogs Victoria estimated about 150,000 dog owners lived within a 15-minute drive of the park.
The expansion is expected to create a number of new jobs, including cafe, grooming and grounds staff.
Restoration work already underway, including to the pavilion roof and site utilities, is expected to be completed by the middle of next year, when the full site is due to open.
For more information on the expansion and Community Membership program, visit dogsvictoria.org.au
First published in the Frankston Times – 4 August 2026
