Every dog has its day: some wait three years

The pooch will not roam in Te Anau. While some town centres even have dog-friendly cafes, and some in Te Anau might want to be among them ... council says no.

The Te Anau community, reeling from the effects of border closures and Covid 19 restrictions, is desperate to make the township more visitor-friendly, especially for pet owners.

The Fiordland Community Board asked the Southland District Council for an early review of the bylaw which prohibits dogs from being walked along the township’s main street.

But the plea fell on deaf ears earlier this week when at a Southland District Council meeting, councillors declined to back an early review and voted in favour of the council staff’s recommendation to maintain the present bylaw, which is not due for review until 2025.

A Fiordland Community Board report said one third of New Zealanders were dog owners yet having a dog control bylaw which did not permit dogs in the main street of Te Anau would turn people off visiting Te Anau or Fiordland.

"It is the view of the Fiordland Community Board that having the main street area of Te Anau prohibited to dogs is impacting the appeal of the town to domestic tourists in particular," the report said.

Border closures were having a big impact on the previously popular tourist destination.

Cr Karyn Owen said she had encountered visitors at the Riverton Information Centre who had said they did not stay in Te Anau because they could not find dog-friendly accommodation and it was unwelcoming to people travelling with pets.

But council staff told councillors a law change was not possible because it was legally required to first undergo public consultation and council staff did not have capacity to deal with it in its 2022 work plans. It recommended the bylaw be reviewed on schedule in 2025.

The council had investigated if the bylaw could be an amendment to allow dogs on a leash, but the Local Government Act would not allow it.

If the council decided a law change was to take priority, then other work would need to be deferred to create staff capacity.

Cr Abel Kremer thought the review was delayed for too long.

‘‘To wait a whole three years is a little unrealistic considering the situation here in Te Anau.”

But he was willing to concede to a temporary postponement of any definitive action until the issue could be looked at in its totality rather than in isolation.

The councillor recognised an early review could have a compounding effect on other work priorities for council staff.

Council chief executive Cameron McIntosh defended his staff’s recommendations.

"We have tried to find a way to assist the Te Anau community with this matter and we have come up short. We cannot find a way to do it."

Dog bylaws traditionally attracted numerous public submissions voicing strong views.

There was also the possibility the bylaw would not change even after following the correct processes were followed, Mr McIntosh said.

- By Toni McDonald