Simon Henderson looks at highlights from the Mosgiel-Taieri Community Board.
Dog woes in Woodside Glen
During the public forum, Woodside Glen residents Eve and Ray Beardsmore expressed opposition to proposed changes to the dog control bylaw which would allow dogs off-leash in the reserve.
Mrs Beardsmore said in 1952 when local farmer Herbert Marquis Carr died, he left in his will the Woodside Glen lands of 34 acres to the local county council as a reserve "for all time" for the benefit of the local inhabitants of the district.
Mrs Beardsmore asked the board to stop up to 18,000 "loose dogs" from "running all over the 34 acres [of] reserve and picnic area" if proposed changes to the dog control bylaw went ahead.
Mr Beardsmore said the proposed changes would lead to areas that were off-leash in Outram and Mosgiel to be removed, meaning people would have to drive to either Woodside Glen or a dog park in Mosgiel.
Mosgiel-Taieri Community Board chairman Andrew Simms reminded the board that the Dunedin City Council said there had been a formal hearing process for the dog control bylaw, including public consultation.
At present deliberations had occurred and the matter was with the council regarding proposed changes to the bylaw, which had not yet been made public.
Christmas events funds
The Mosgiel-Taieri Community Board has granted $1000 to the Taieri Network towards costs of the A Very Taieri Christmas project run by the network.
The network is planning a variety of events including installation of a Christmas Tree, a Christmas Youth Dance, late night shopping and Santa’s Grotto and a Christmas Lights Display tour with the Otago Heritage Bus Society.
Bus updates
Otago Regional Council implementation adviser transport Sumit Saini provided an update regarding new buses for the area.
A new contract coming into effect next year with Go Bus would include provision of electric buses in Mosgiel.
There would be 13 new electric buses, six of which would be large buses with a capacity of up to 75 passengers.
The buses would be based at an improved depot in Mosgiel that would include charging capacity for all the buses.
Current routes would not change; however an on-demand service would replace the current loop service on routes 80 and 81 from July next year.
People would be able to phone or use an app to book a bus.
The service would not be door-to-door but instead the bus would travel to the nearest bus stop to the user’s location, and using the app a passenger would be able track how far the bus was from that location.
The on-demand service would be the same price and users will be able to use the Bee Card as usual. The route of the on-demand service would be wider than the current loop service.
