Dog laws reviewed

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.

More Recent News

Another show stopper

Waipā’s second Home and Leisure Show has created a raft of new projects and pastimes – from getting the house clean to getting on a bike. The show – the second run by Good Local…

News in brief

Bikes return Bike racks are back in use on Waikato regional bus services from Cambridge, Te Kūiti and Te Awamutu-Kihikihi this week. Tokoroa and Taupō bus services will be ready to go from next month…

Getting attached

Tiny green leaves are the first signs of success from last year’s mistletoe translocation to Mt Pirongia in Waikato. Restoration efforts began at Pirongia in the early 2000s, and since then the Department of Conservation’s…

Fieldays honours Gallagher

Sir William Gallagher has been awarded a National Fieldays Life Membership Sir William has been a part of Fieldays since its inception and played a pivotal role in its foundation. When he attended the first…