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Coast conservation and dog-owner groups are cautiously optimistic after a community-led plan to protect dotterels on Big Manly and Tindalls Beach was endorsed by the Hibiscus and Bays Local Board at their monthly meeting on May 27.
Protecting the small birds during the breeding season while maintaining an open and active recreation area for dogs and people has been an ongoing issue on Manly and Tindalls Bay beaches. However, when the Auckland Council’s dog bylaws came up for review earlier this year, Hibiscus Coast Forest & Bird, Big Manly and Tindalls Dotterel Minders, and Dog Friends Rodney felt the options proposed by Council didn’t serve the community, so they workshopped their own solution. (Hibiscus Matters, February 10, 2025)
Their plan is a temporary option, which retains the current time and season rule and during dotterel breeding season requires dogs to be on-leash within 200m of a nest and prohibited from entering a 50m zone near the nest. The nests would be fenced, and signs would educate beachgoers and dog owners about the dotterels.
Project manager for Pest Free Hibiscus Coast, Jenny Hanwell, said although they are pleased their measure has been endorsed, they were disappointed they didn’t have the opportunity to take the community-led option out to public consultation when the bylaw review was proposed.
“It means it’s only a temporary change, but it gives us a chance to pilot the measures and if they work, then they could be used elsewhere,” she said.
The bylaw review attracted a good level of public feedback with 747 people responding via surveys and emails to the Big Manly Beach review, with 35 per cent supporting the Council’s option and 62 per cent opposed.
For the Tindalls Bay review, 699 feedback responses were received, with 34 per cent supporting the Council proposal and 63 percent opposed.
Many of those opposed said the Council proposal, which restricted dogs to on-leash at all times near the Manly and Tindalls Beach headland, unfairly punished responsible dog owners.
The issue of enforcing the dog access rules, signs and public education costs was raised by several board members at the May meeting. It was noted that the beaches would be designated as hot spots during the breeding season, although it was up to the discretion of animal control services, when and how that would occur.
However, board member Julia Parfitt, said that maintaining the status quo wasn’t helping.
“Doing it just by bylaws isn’t going to work, we also need public education.”
Hanwell stressed that community education and clear beach signs were essential to help the measures work.
“We don’t want to be policing the access rules, especially as some volunteers were treated rudely last year, but having clear guidelines in place will help people who walk their dogs on the beach.”
