Council director infrastructure Phil Hoare said the Australian Botanic Gardens Shepparton was set to get an “on-leash dog-friendly” bridge, which would link path networks from the north to the south of the gardens.
“Once the bridge and new path are constructed, council will review the areas where dogs are permitted,” he said.
At present, dogs are strictly banned from the gardens.
One Shepparton rate payer, Gina Sozzi, who was recently told to leave the gardens with her dog, said in a Facebook post that walking her dog in the gardens should be no different to walking around the lake or any other dog-friendly area in Shepparton.
“And like every other time we go, the dogs are leashed and we carry bags for any mishaps that may occur,” she said in the post.
Mr Hoare said the ban on dogs, which council endorsed, was brought in by the Friends of the Australian Botanic Gardens Shepparton in a bid to stop damage to the gardens and wildlife.
But in a recent statement to The News, council said it expected a dog-friendly bridge would be completed next financial year, with a review of which areas dogs were allowed in the gardens.
The route five path and pedestrian bridge was endorsed by council in 2015 as part of the River Connect Master plan, providing a link over the Broken River and improving access for pedestrians and cyclists.
The News asked council whether the bridge and path was a response to low numbers of people visiting the park due to the dog ban.
Council did not state whether the bridge was planned for this purpose, but simply said the aim of the bridge had always been to help with connectivity for both pedestrians and cyclists.
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