Dog rules to change tomorrow
New rules and dog exercise areas for Waipā come into effect from tomorrow, Friday, December 1.
In June, the community had their say and after considering all the feedback and deliberations the council adopted the new Dog Control Bylaw and Policy in September.
From tomorrow, the community will have access to six new off-leash dog exercise areas. A further two open mid-December and another in February 2024.
Community services manager Brad Ward said staff have been working hard to get the new dog exercise areas ready and are excited to see the community and their dogs have some new spaces to explore.
There will be new mixed timings for dogs off-leash and on-leash at three key sites including Lake Te Koo Utu, Waipuke foreshore area and the northern area of Te Awamutu War Memorial Park. Dogs will be allowed off-leash between 6pm to 10am during daylight savings and 3pm to 10am in winter. Outside of these times dogs will need to be on-leash in these areas.
“After hearing community feedback, the mixed timings allow for owners and dogs to still enjoy the space off-leash at the given times while also allowing for these spaces to be versatile where families, dog owners or not, can enjoy a picnic at the park and still feel safe” Ward said.
At Victoria Square in Cambridge, dogs will be prohibited during daylight saving hours and all year round at events. Outside of these times dogs will be allowed on-leash.
Compliance manager Karl Tutty said enforcement would continue in these areas and advice, information and education will be provided when people breach the rules. Further actions may be taken if there are repeat offenders. “We rely on the public informing us when they see an issue or incident so our team can follow up and act promptly," Tutty said.
Dogs will now be prohibited from Kakepuku Maunga, Lake Rotomanuka, Lake Ruatuna, Lake Rotopiko and Karāpiro Gully.
Full details of the changes including maps of the new exercise areas are available on Council’s website at waipadc.govt.nz/dogsreview.
