Waipā’s Dog Control Bylaw and Dog Control policy are to be reviewed and updated to reflect issues with dogs in several reserves.
Mount Kakepuku, Karāpiro’s Mighty River Domain, Lake Te Koo Utu, Memorial Park and Kihikihi Domain are among the places where dog control is patchy.
Strategic Projects driver Graham Pollard said the Iwi Consultative and Strategic Planning and Policy committees have previously passed resolutions aimed at prohibiting dogs from Kakepuku. Dogs on leads are permitted on Waipā tracks but not on the top of the mountain where there is a sacred area.
Dog owners continue to ignore rules prohibiting dogs from the Karāpiro domain while developments at Lake Te Koo Utu in Cambridge and Memorial Park in Te Awamutu and future changes to green spaces and public areas mean the district’s dog control regulations need reviewing, he said.
“Reviewing this bylaw now will ensure Council can hastily respond to these current dog control area issues in the district. It will also update the documents to apply best practice dog control to future district expansion.”
Council is under pressure to review the bylaw now rather than wait until 2025.
That would mean the current dog control issues putting pressure on the council could not be reviewed for three years.
The Strategic Planning and Policy committee agreed with Pollard and told staff to begin community engagement later this month.
Cambridge has 12 dog exercise areas, Te Awamutu 13, Pirongia six and there is one in Maungatautari.
