A controversial dog ban at a popular beach in one of Sydney‘s wealthiest suburbs has sparked a wave of backlash from furious residents.
Woollahra Council shared a statement on its website announcing 21 changes to rules around dog walking in the area, including a new ban for Kutti Beach in Vaucluse.
‘We recognise there has been a significant increase in dog ownership and the number of people walking dogs in our local area in the last few years,’ it read.
‘Of the 21 changes which have been approved, most increase the opportunities for dog walking.
‘However taking into account community feedback and safety concerns, Kutti Beach has been changed from dogs allowed on-leash to dogs prohibited from late November 2025.’
The decision has been met with fury from residents in the council area, who say there are now no off-leash beaches to take their dogs.
‘Seems moronic considering (how) they lead the update,’ an anonymous local told Daily Mail, in reference to the spike in dog ownership.
‘The Mayor and the council members should probably re-read that and open more space up. Must be a bunch of sad cat owners.’
Woollahra Council has banned dogs from Kutti Beach in Vaucluse, Sydney’s east
Love Island star Cassidy McGill questioned the ban on social media
The resident also took issue with how the council communicated the news.
‘Would have been nice if Woollahra Council advertised these updates to about where dogs are allowed,’ they said.
‘Nothing posted on any of their social media about the dog ban, just a sly update on their website once you sift through the array of constrictive changes or arriving to the beach to find your dog can no longer go for a swim off-leash.’
Love Island star Cassidy McGill also shared her shock at the dog ban.
‘Wait Kutti Beach is literally one of two dog beaches in the east? Does anyone know what this is about?’ she wrote on her Instagram Stories on Friday.
When Woollahra Council was asked for comment regarding the criticism, it directed the Daily Mail to a column written by Mayor Sarah Dixson.
‘The overwhelming majority of feedback we received on Kutti Beach in Vaucluse, which is one of our smallest and most popular beaches in summer, informed our decision to prohibit dogs in this location,’ she wrote.
‘In recent years, our staff have had to respond to many complaints about dogs being off-leash there.’
The council initially allowed dogs to be walked on-leash at Kutti Beach (pictured)
Cr Dixson said that, because the beach is often busy with families, and many of the adjacent properties don’t have fences, ‘this decision ensures a safer, more hygienic and enjoyable environment for all’.
She added that the council won’t be issuing fines for the next ‘few weeks’ to focus on increasing awareness.
According to its website, the council held a community consultation on dog walking locations in mid-2023, which received 480 responses.
It then introduced changes, providing ‘even more places to walk your dog on a lead and off-leash’, which were approved on October 28 this year.
‘Many of the locations where dogs will be allowed off-leash or on-leash require the installation of new signs, fences and bins before the new dog walking rules can take effect,’ the council said.
‘These will be implemented in 2026. We will continue to update this page.’
Dog walkers must keep their pets on a lead at all times in public unless in a sign-posted off-leash area, or risk a fine of more than $330.
The council has listed the parks and reserves in Woollahra where dogs are allowed off-leash, on-leash, and are prohibited on its website.
