Masterton District Council is consulting the community on changes to its Dog Policy and Control of Dogs Bylaw, and its Dangerous, Affected, and Insanitary Buildings Policy.

The dog policy includes proposed changes cover the following themes:

• changes to dog access in selected public places
• reducing roaming, and minimising danger, distress, and nuisance to the community
• providing more flexibility for the community in appropriate circumstances
• updates for clarity.

In summary, the proposed changes are:

Changes to dog access in selected public places:

Proposed change 1: Taranaki Street Park off-leash – It is proposed to designate Taranaki Street Park as off-leash. This is due to feedback we have received that this area is already informally used off-leash without issues, and increased demand for more off-leash areas spread around urban Masterton.

Proposed change 2: Castlepoint beach reef area to become prohibited. It is proposed to designate the reef area of Castlepoint beach as prohibited as it has been identified in the Greater Wellington Regional Council’s Natural Resource Plan as a significant habitat for indigenous birds. Dogs in this area, even onleash, can be disruptive to wildlife

Proposed change 3: Motuwaireka Stream mouth at Riversdale Beach to be designated on-leash. It is proposed to designate the Motuwaireka Stream mouth at Riversdale Beach as on-leash as it has also been identified as a significant habitat for indigenous birds in Greater Wellington Regional Council’s Natural Resource Plan.

Reducing roaming, and minimising danger, distress and nuisance to the community:

Proposed change 4: Requirement to neuter an uncontrolled dog. Masterton’s most common dog incident is roaming, and unneutered dogs are more likely to roam.

Proposed change 5: Exercising dogs alongside moving motor vehicles. Dog owners must be in control of their dogs at all times, and it is proposing to add a section clarifying that exercising dogs alongside a moving motor vehicle means the owner is not in control of their dog. This would not apply to working dogs.

Proposed change 6: Process for removing menacing dog classification. It is proposed to implement a process for removing a menacing dog classification. If a menacing dog owner has taken sufficient steps to demonstrate responsible dog ownership, they may apply to have the classification removed. This is intended to incentivise positive behavioural change.

Providing flexibility for the community in appropriate circumstances:

Proposed change 7: Discretion for the Council to waive surrendering fees. It is proposed to provide discretion for the Council to waive surrendering fees in exceptional circumstances. This covers exceptionally rare cases, where a person may choose to abandon or dispose of a dog inappropriately rather than surrender it for a fee to the Council.

Proposed change 8: Responsible Dog Owner status clarity and exemptions for neutering. It is proposed to improve clarity around Responsible Dog Owner status for people with multiple dogs, and when moving house, and provide exemptions from the neutering requirement for dog owners who are responsible but have a dog that is not fit for neutering due to potential health risks.

The consultation material on the Dog Policy and Control of Dogs Bylaw, can be found on the council website.

Dangerous, Affected, and Insanitary Buildings

All councils must have a Dangerous, Affected, and Insanitary Buildings Policy outlining how it identifies, categorises, and manages buildings that may be dangerous, affected by nearby dangerous buildings, or insanitary. It also must set out how we approach heritage buildings. The policy does not cover earthquake prone buildings or dams.

The proposed amendments:

• take account of legislative requirements
• improve transparency and consistency
• update the policy structure and clarify how the policy is applied within the Council’s broader strategic context.

The current approach to dangerous and insanitary buildings is reactive, meaning the Council responds promptly when a complaint is received and works with the building owner to remedy issues. Council does not actively seek out such buildings. We consider this approach is working well in practice for our community.

While the wording of the policy has been revised for clarity, the practical implementation remains unchanged.

The proposed Policy will contribute to Council achieving the objective of the Building Act 2004 to ensure that buildings do not endanger the health, safety of the people who use them.

The consultation material on the Dangerous, Affected, and Insanitary Buildings Policy, can be found on the council website.

Both consultations run until 21 March 2025.

Hard copies of consultation information will be available from next week at the Council’s offices at 161 Queen Street and 27-29 Lincoln Road, and Masterton District Library, 54 Queen Street.

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