Dog rule changes to bring consistency across region

Auckland Council is proposing to make the time of year, and hours, that dogs are allowed on beaches the same across the region.

The council’s Regulatory and Bylaws Committee has today recommended that a region-wide standard time and season be introduced to beaches that have current rules on the hours and time of year dogs are allowed.

If the current local access rules state that dogs are allowed on the beach off-leash in the mornings, that will continue; what could change is the time of day and year those rules will apply.

Under the proposal, the local access rules that currently apply will stay the same between the times of:

10am to 6.30pm between the Saturday of Labour Weekend and 31 March; and
10am to 4pm between 1 April and the Friday before Labour Weekend.

“The change will remove the confusion that currently exists with seven different start and finish times across the region, and four different seasons,” says committee chair, Des Morrison.

Auckland Council is required to review all the bylaws and policies inherited by the seven former city and district councils by 31 October 2015, with dog rules amongst the first to be looked at.

In developing the draft, council staff consulted a range of internal and external stakeholders including a survey of 1500 people, 900 of whom were dog owners.

Aucklanders will have a chance to have their say on the draft proposals between 26 January and 27 February 2012.

The proposal also outlines the role of local boards in setting dog access rules in local parks and beaches in the future.

The changes are among proposals the council is seeking to introduce as it develops a single policy and bylaw for all dogs across the city.

Existing local dog access rules, including off-leash and dog exercise areas, will not change unless they are modified to align with new region-wide rules.

Public consultation will be followed by hearings and deliberations with a new Auckland Council policy and bylaw on dogs adopted in middle of 2012. The new regulations will become operational in October 2012.

For more information on this review go to www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/bylaws