We encourage responsible dog owners to get out and enjoy the Shire's many beaches and parks. Exercising your dog contributes towards a more healthy, active lifestyle for you and your dog. Dogs that get regular exercise and positive stimulation are also less likely to be bored and cause a nuisance by barking, and socialised dogs are less likely to be aggressive.
Dogs must always be under the effective control of a chain, cord or leash whilst in a public place except in a designated leash-free area. Dogs are not permitted in dog prohibited areas, whether on a leash or not.
Wherever you head out with your dog, please make sure you:
We encourage responsible dog owners to have leash-free fun with their dogs at the Shire's many designated leash-free areas located around the Mornington Peninsula.
Dog owners must keep their dogs on leash until they reach the leash-free area, and re-leash their dogs on leaving. Whilst in a leash-free area, your dog must remain within your sight and you must retain voice/hand control of your dog.
Even if the area is designated as off-leash, dogs must be on leash within 20m of:
Do you have an idea for the location of a new leash-free area? Council is always on the lookout for new places to let your furry friend run around, so if you have an idea let us know on the Leash-Free Nomination page!
The Mornington Peninsula is home to many vulnerable, threatened and endangered species of flora and fauna. To ensure we off the greatest amount of protection to these species, there are a number of areas where dogs are prohibited from entering or remaining, even on leash.
Some of these species include the threatened Hooded Plover, migratory shorebirds, marsupials including the White-footed Dunnart and the Long-nosed Bandicoot, and reptiles such as the Blue-tongued Lizard.
Many of these species are susceptible to dog attacks and even the scent or barking of dogs can cause distress.
There are a number of dog controls that apply to beaches on the Mornington Peninsula as Council do not manage all the beaches across the peninsula coastline.
Beaches that are managed by the State Government through the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) have various rules. Please use our interactive map below to find out which controls apply on your local beaches.
The Bass Strait coastline between Flinders and Portsea is managed by Parks Victoria and is part of the Mornington Peninsula National Park and the Point Nepean National Park. These parks are dog prohibited at all times of the year. Council do not manage any part of these parks.
On Tuesday 3 December 2024 the Shire updated the dog controls on a number of areas across the peninsula. These new controls came into effect on Thursday 12 December 2024.
Dogs in Public Places Policy
Use the map below to locate your nearest park or beach to see which dog controls apply. You can pan or zoom into an area and click on a reserve to view the information.
You may have noticed “Under Review” signs at some of the dog-prohibited reserves across the Shire. We have engaged an independent consultant to help us review the dog controls at these sites to determine if they are appropriate.
We will soon be inviting our residents and visitors to have their say on the dog control status of these reserves via an online survey and community outreach sessions. Further details will be provided soon.
Updated June 2026