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A full-scale ban of off-leash dogs at Te Arai has been deferred pending further discussion by a specially convened working group made up of key stakeholders including dog owners, iwi and council representatives.
Auckland Council staff recommended the ban, but Rodney Councillor Greg Sayers called on the Governing Body to delay a decision, in the hope that a better outcome could be reached. The group has been given till next month to find a solution.
The ban on Te Arai South, known colloquially as Forestry Beach, was part of an Auckland-wide dog policy review, adopted at a meeting on June 26. The new policy, set to come into force on August 1, includes revised on-leash, off-leash and dog-free areas across nine regional parks, along with new guidelines on how many dogs can be walked at once.
It also sought to eliminate all off-leash dog access along the Te Arai coastline, with council citing the protection of endangered species such as the New Zealand dotterel as a key reason.
However, critics argued that the decision disregarded community sentiment and the recommendations of the Rodney Local Board (RLB), which advised against the ban.
Of the 882 submissions specific to Te Arai, 659 opposed the ban.
Long-time Te Arai resident and dog walker Mark Holliday, who led the local protest movement, said both public feedback and the RLB’s stance were ignored by the Dog Policy and Bylaw Panel.
“The process has been appalling,” Holliday said. “Council staff provided the hearing panel with misleading data, and even after we highlighted these errors, our request to speak at the final government meeting was refused.”
During discussion on the bylaw, Sayers asked for clarification on what powers the governing body had over decisions made by local boards.
He said he had been approached by a lobby group from Snells Beach, unhappy with the dog rules’ decision made by the RLB.
“They believe the officer’s report, on which the board based its decision, did not accurately reflect the submissions and was, therefore, flawed,” Sayers said. “They want the governing body to overturn the board decision or send it back to the board to reconsider.”
However, a council officer said this was not possible. He said local board decisions on local dog access rules were full and final, and all residents could do was ask the board to review its decision.
