Animal Management Bylaw Review

THIS CONSULTATION IS CLOSED.

This consultation period closed on 16 July 2021. Thank you for having your say.

Read the feedback report for more details on the feedback given.

What happens next

On Friday 29 October, Local Boards will present their feedback to the Bylaw Panel at a public session from 9:30am to 11:30am. Following this, the Bylaw Panel will consider all feedback at a public deliberations session from 11:30am to 4:30pm.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, these sessions will take place online using Microsoft Teams. There will not be an opportunity to have your say at either session. If you would like to observe the meeting please email julie.mckee@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz for the link.

The Panel will use the feedback to make recommendations on the proposal to the Governing Body. The Governing Body will make a final decision on the proposed amended Animal Management Bylaw 2015 at its meeting on 25 November 2021.

How Auckland Council helps maintain human-animal bonds

We make rules about animal ownership and interaction to minimise risks to public health and safety, nuisance, offensive behaviour and misuse of council-controlled public places.

We are proposing changes to the Animal Management Bylaw 2015 and associated controls to help improve the rules about animal ownership and interaction and make these rules easier to read and understand.

The main proposals are to:

• incorporate rules from another bylaw about the feeding of animals on private property
• update the definitions, structure, format and wording of the Bylaw and controls to make them easier to read and understand.
• Require approval to keep more than two standard beehives on urban premises with a land area less than 2000 square metres (no approval currently required). Note: Council has heard a range of views about limits on beehives in urban areas and is seeking feedback:
  1. on allowing more or fewer beehives without approval than the proposed two
  2. on limits for different sized urban premises than the proposed 2000 square metres

Other aspects of the Bylaw, controls and their implementation remain unchanged, for example:

• the Bylaw focuses on the impact of animals on people
• matters already covered in existing legislation are not addressed in the Bylaw, for example, animal welfare in the Animal Welfare Act, pest control in the Biosecurity Act and Auckland Regional Pest Management Plan and dogs in the Dog Management Bylaw.
• The effect of existing rules in the Bylaw and controls for which changes are not proposed, for example, the restrictions on the ownership of stock in urban areas and conditions for riding horses on certain beaches in Auckland.