About 30 dogs ignored the morning cold on Saturday to enjoy the undulating, 1.2-hectare site in O’Connor.

Lyneham resident Camille Goodman said the new park would save her a half-hour round trip twice a week to the Belconnen site to allow her two-year-old beagle Digger to explore off the leash.

“I’ll also be able to walk here, which is good, because I didn’t get any exercise in Belconnen,” she said.

Territory and Municipal Services Minister Shane Rattenbury said the park would cater for all dogs and be an accessible place for those in nearby suburbs, who have previously often travelled to the Yarralumla site.

“It features two separate fenced play areas – one for large, energetic dogs and one for smaller, elderly and frail dogs,” Mr Rattenbury said.

“The park is within walking distance to surrounding residential areas and provides an interesting terrain for dogs and their owners, with lots of shade and shelter provided by established trees.

“The [parks] are enormously popular, wherever you go they’re full.”

Off Fairfax Street, the park was designed and constructed for $450,000 and has seating and a drinking fountain for owners, plus a small trough for dogs.

Mr Rattenbury said the location was chosen through a community survey.

The O’Connor off-leash park is the only one in the territory without lights, an amenity Mr Rattenbury said would be considered once patronage was established.

The founder of dog-minding company Pups4Fun, Rhiannon Beach, said the O’Connor park would meet a need in the community. “I know from feedback from my [northside] clients that they have to travel to Yarralumla,” Ms Beach said.

She said the O’Connor site, which has a small car park between the two play areas, was the first where the fences were not adjoining.

Mr Rattenbury said there were no plans for any further parks, but residents were encouraged to participate in a review of dog exercise areas via timetotalk.act.gov.au.