Doggy time: Dogs will be able to walk around Te Koo Utu off a leash with their owners in summer between 6pm and 10am and in winter between 3pm and 10am under the new bylaw. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
A Dog Control Policy and Bylaw has been adopted by Waipā District Council after months of public debate.
The bylaw was last changed in 2015 and initial informal community engagement to update it began last year.
The council adopted it at its council meeting this week.
Debate on the eastern side of the district in Cambridge centred around when dogs could exercise unleashed around Lake Te Koo Utu while in the west there was concern about banning dogs from Kakepuku, Kihikihi Domain and Memorial Park.
Graham Pollard
Strategic Policy advisor Graham Pollard – who has lived and breathed the consultation and fielded a lot of the flak – told the council the policy and bylaw attracted 277 submissions.
Three staff recommendations were not accepted or amended.
That means Cambridge Park Oval remains a ‘dog exercise area’, Victoria Square in Cambridge is off limits at all times in summer and in winter when a market is on and owners can have no more than four dogs off leash in a dog exercise area.
Lake Te Koo Utu in Cambridge is a popular dog exercise area. Under the new rules dogs can only walk there off a leash but under control between 6pm and 10am in summer and 3pm to 10am in winter. Many dog owners have consistently maintained their pooches should be allowed unleashed there all the time.
Dogs will not be allowed on Kakepuku following concerns raised by Te Kopua Marae committee and nor will they be seen on Kihikihi Domain. The same summer and winter hours as Lake Te Koo Utu will be in place at Memorial Park in Te Awamutu in the area north of the Mangaohoi Stream.
The bylaw will be implemented from December 1 to allow time to change signs and add fencing, waste bins.
Areas where dogs will be prohibited are:
Cambridge
- Victoria Square, Victoria Street: Summer Hours: at all times; and Winter Hours: in any part of Victoria Square while that part is being used for a market
- Swimming Pool, Williamson Street
- John Kerkhof Park and Athletic and Harrier Club grounds, Vogel Street (excludes town belt pedestrian circuit track corridor which is dog on lead)
- Rugby Sub-Union grounds, Taylor Street
- Leamington Sports ground, Carlyle Street (playing fields only but includes perimeter)
- Karapiro Gully, Gillies Street.
- Within any fenced public playground or play area, or within 5m of any unfenced public playground or play area
Maungatautari
- Mighty River Domain (Karapiro Domain) – excludes that part of Te Awa River Ride within the Maungatautari Road corridor (Te Awa River Ride is “dog on leash”) and excludes the Gate 3 dog exercise area when not in use for events
- Maungatautari Scenic Reserve, Pukeatu
Across the District
- Reserves where animals are being grazed
- All Department of Conservation Reserves unless a permit has been obtained from the DOC.
27 September
New dog rules in place in December
Waipa District Council media release
Waipā’s canine friends will have new places to play from December this year.
New rules and eight new dog exercise areas will be in place across Waipā from December 1 this year.
A new dog policy and bylaw were formally approved by elected councillors yesterday after the consideration of 277 submissions from the community.
The changes will see eight new off-leash dog exercise areas created across the district including:
- four in Cambridge (the Oak Arboretum in Cambridge East, on the green belt south of Payne Park on Vogel Place; at Mclean St Reserve and on the former motocross track in Lamb Street)
- at Pekerau Reserve off Bygrave Place in Te Awamutu
- a new enclosed park, and foreshore area, at Waipuke Park on Maungatautari Road
- at Pirongia Esplanade, and
- at a relocated dog park at Forkert Road in Ōhaupō.
However, the new rules will also see dogs prohibited from Kakepuku maunga, Lake Rotomanuka, Lake Ruatuna and Lake Rotopiko. Much of the Kakepuku maunga is managed by the Department of Conservation (DoC) and already dogs are not permitted without a DoC permit.
There will also be the introduction of times for dogs to be on-leash and off-leash at some key sites.
Some new on-leash restrictions will be implemented at key locations at Cambridge including Lake Te Koo Utu, the Camellia Path and Victoria Square.
At Lake Te Koo Utu, dogs will need to be on-leash between 10am and 6pm during daylight savings and between 10am and 3pm in winter. The same rule will be in place for the northern section of War Memorial Park in Te Awamutu. At Victoria Square, dogs will not permitted at any time during daylight saving hours but are allowed on-leash during the winter (except in the Farmers’ Market and at any other events).
Wayne Allan
Details of all changes are available on council’s website at waipadc.govt.nz/dogsreview. Over the next few months, staff will make the practical changes necessary including installing new signage, dog waste bins and fencing. Owners of all registered dogs will be sent information directly about the changed rules.
Group manager – district growth and regulatory services Wayne Allan said the new policy was only finalised after comprehensive community input, as well as a formal submission process.
“There was a lot of opportunity for people to have their say and we really appreciate the effort people put in to make very considered submissions. While some people will be pleased with some changes, others may not. But council cannot please everyone and must also design rules to ensure non-dog owners feel comfortable and safe.”
