What do you think about the DCC’s proposed bylaw changes?

Dunedin (Monday, 25 January 2016) – The Dunedin City Council wants to know what the community thinks about proposed changes to three of the city’s bylaws – the Dog Control Bylaw, the Keeping of Animal (Excluding Dogs) and Birds Bylaw and the Beauticians', Tattooists' and Skin Piercers' Bylaw.

The first two bylaws encompass Dunedin’s animal rules with the Dog Control Bylaw covering dogs and the Keeping of Animal (Excluding Dogs) and Birds Bylaw covering all other animals kept in residential areas.

“We are legally required to review our bylaws every ten years, so we have gathered feedback from the community and as a result have proposed a series of changes,” says Manager Environment Health and Animal Services Ros MacGill.

“In these changes we have tried to strike the right balance between giving people opportunity to have choices while limiting threats to public health and the nuisances animals may cause to others.

“We now want to know what residents and stakeholders think of these proposed changes.”

The following changes are being proposed.

Dog Control Bylaw

· To improve protection for wildlife in their natural habitat, dogs will be required to be leashed and kept at least 10m away from protected wildlife, and the prohibited area at Brighton Beach will be extended.

· Dog owners will be able to take their dogs to St Clair Esplanade on a leash and exercise dogs off the leash on Peninsula Beach Road in Port Chalmers.

· Dogs will be required to be on a leash on DCC owned sports grounds and will still not be allowed on marked playing fields.

Keeping of Animals (Excluding Dogs) and Birds Bylaw

· Once all other avenues have been exhausted DCC staff will be able to set a limit on the number and species of animals and birds, which can be kept at a property or by an individual when these animals are causing a nuisance.

“We know that many people in Dunedin have animals and the proposed changes will impact them, so we encourage people to visit our website and tell us if they think we have got the balance right,” says Ms MacGill.

Changes to the Beauticians', Tattooists' and Skin Piercers' Bylaw include the following.

· Provisions to allow for mobile and temporary trading.

· Provisions for business operators to provide evidence of staff competency and ongoing staff training.

· Clarification about what constitutes being a registered beauty therapist, tattooist or skin piercer to distinguish registered operators from unregistered illegal ‘backyard’ operators.

· Changing where an operator’s licence certificate has to be displayed so the public can easily view it.

· A general update of terminology and clarifying definitions in the bylaw, with a risk based approach being adopted.

Visit www.dunedin.govt.nz/consultation from Monday, 25 January to find more information about the proposed bylaw changes and to make a submission on these.

The consultation period will run until Thursday, 25 February. If required hearings for the bylaws will be held later in the year and the public are welcome to make a submission, in person, at these.

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