Blanket ban on dogs in 26 places

A new dog control bylaw that has come into effect this week bans dogs, even those on a leash, from a number of beaches and parks, illustrated in this map by the areas in red. The largest is Gisborne Airport.Image supplied

From this week dogs are banned from a host of public areas here.

Gisborne District Council has introduced eight changes to its dog control policy and bylaw which came into effect this week.

Dogs can be walked on a leash around the city’s boardwalks but the sandy areas of Kaiti Beach and the most heavily used part of Waikanae Beach are now prohibited to dogs — which means no dogs allowed, not even on leashes.

Dogs are now banned from a total of 26 public places, beaches and parks, including Childers Road Reserve, Kaiti Mall and the Oval.

The changes have been made to encourage responsible dog ownership around the city, said GDC director sustainable futures Joanna Noble. It was also to promote environments “where dogs and people can happily and peacefully co-exist”.

An area of 700 metres has been made dog-free on Waikanae Beach, from the Young Nick statue (by The Cut) to Roberts Road.

Other areas have also been made dog-free around town to ensure there are some areas where families can go without the concern of roaming dogs.

“Dog owners can have their dogs on a leash in the area of beach between Stanley Road and Pacific Street, which is about 800m in length,” Ms Noble said.

“In the area of Midway Beach from Pacific Street to the river mouth dogs can be off lead and run as far as they like. This is over 7.2 km of beach.”

Community consultation on these and other changes happened between January 25 and  March 16. Three hundred submissions were received, along with several comments on Facebook.

“All feedback was considered and we appreciate the time our community took to deliver this feedback,” Ms Noble said.

Off-leash areas are confined to Ayton Park, Beach and foreshore - Stanley Road to Waipaoa River, Coldstream Reserve, Heath Johnston Park  (Paraone Road end), Nelson Park  (adjacent to the footbridge), Wainui Beach  (except between the flags) and  Waiteata Park (north side of the waterway, non-playground side Whataupoko Reserve).

The full list of changes to the dog control policy and bylaw are on the council’s website.

The Keeping of Animals bylaw has also been updated. The rule for beehives has been standardised to two beehives per property in urban areas, and a new clause clarifies how the bylaw applies to feral or stray animals.