Uretiti Beach dog walkers are taking a stand against Whangārei District Council's proposed changes to its dog bylaws, which would affect the group's access to favourite dog walking areas.
Uretiti Beach dog walkers are taking a stand against Whangārei District Council's proposed changes to its dog bylaws, which would affect the group's access to favourite dog walking areas.
The public have until 5pm on June 14 to make submissions on the changes, some of which are:
Allowing dogs on a leash in the city centre;
Shifting the year-round off-leash area on Uretiti Beach to north of the Department of Conservation campsite carpark - dogs would still be allowed off-leash north of Tip Road outside the summer peak, as they are on most other beaches in our district;
Adding seven additional beach and foreshore areas where dogs will be allowed off-leash during the summer restricted season;
Changes to the classification of dog breeds considered “menacing” and the way those dogs are managed.
It’s proposed changes to an off-lead dog exercise area at Uretiti Beach that have at least 40 regular dog walkers there concerned.
Known as Dog Heaven, because of the longstanding freedom it provided for dog walking, the area the council proposed to subject to 43 days of restricted summer hours (banning dogs there between 9am and 5pm, December 20 to January 31) runs from the end of Tip Rd northward along the beach.
Dog Heaven would still be available as a year-round, off-lead area outside the summer period.
Mag Crichton (front centre) with some of the people who regularly exercise their dogs at a part of Uretiti Beach they call Dog Heaven. About 40 of them met on the beach this month to discuss their concerns over Whangārei District Council's proposed changes to access.
The council’s strategic planner - bylaws Will McNab told the Northern Advocate, “the beach either side of Tip Rd is a contentious space”.
“Different segments of the community aspire to use it in ways that aren’t always compatible: walking dogs, [riding] horses, driving vehicles, and of course protecting critically endangered wildlife.
“Council has received numerous reports in the past of people walking dogs south of Tip Rd and into the Waipu River Mouth Wildlife Refuge. We also received feedback to this effect during our early engagement on the policy and bylaw last year.
“One aim of shifting the year-round off-leash stretch of beach northwards was that it would spur some behaviour change and reduce the frequency of dogs entering the refuge.
“It would also give the community at Ruakākā Beach a nearby year-round off-leash option south of the Ruakākā Wildlife Refuge.
Mags Crichton - an Uretiti local and a dog trainer - is part of the group concerned about the proposed change. They believed the council’s reasoning was contradictory, illogical, and lacked regard for the access rights of the district’s 13,620 registered dog owners.
They wanted to know where complaints had come from and how many the council had received.
Crichton claimed the council had “caved to a minority” - a “small but vocal” bird group concerned some dogs were being taken to the south of Tip Rd.
The vast majority of Dog Heaven users complied with the rule to walk in a northerly direction and those who deliberately defied it were unlikely to be deterred by the proposed new regulations, Crichton said.
The council claimed it wanted to protect human safety yet it was proposing to move the year-round, off-leash area closer to the Uretiti campground, she said.
“The camp makes this part of the beach by far the most used by people over the summer holidays. Can you imagine the camp patrons on the beach and all the dogs come on?”
Summer walking restrictions wouldn’t assist in safeguarding birds either, which would presumably still be there before 9am and after 5pm. Most dog owners preferred to exercise their dog at low tide and if it was high tide during the permitted hours, dog walkers would be forced further up the sand dunes where birds were more likely to be nesting.
Crichton said there was no reason the needs of all beachgoers couldn’t be met.
“I get really hacked off with bird group members insinuating that all dog walkers don’t like or care about the foreshore birds. It’s just not true.”
If the bird group taped off or sign posted any sensitive areas, dog walkers, drivers, and horse riders would know to steer clear, Crichton said.
She was personally also concerned about issues with the council’s process around the draft bylaw, about which she would make additional submissions.
Crichton said she’d invested a lot of personal time in spreading the word about the proposed changes and had so far collected and delivered 84 submissions to the council.
McNab said the council had to date received 350 submissions, including pins on its interactive map.
“The feedback we are receiving reflects people’s diverse experiences with dogs. A dog can be anything - including a beloved family member for one person, a phobia trigger for another person, a source of comfort, or a threat to wildlife.”
A full schedule of proposed changes to the dog bylaw can be viewed via the council’s website.
Sarah Curtis is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on a wide range of issues. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in journalism, much of which she spent court reporting. She is passionate about covering stories that make a difference
