For both personal and cultural reasons, Aucklanders use a variety of services that can have health and safety risks.

From 4 May 2026 to 7 June 2026 we want you to tell us what you think about the proposal to improve our Bylaw and Control about services with health and safety risks in Auckland.

We are reviewing the Health and Hygiene Bylaw 2013 and have identified some improvements to the rules. We want to revise the rules to help minimise the risk of harm from services that pose health and safety risks.

Aucklanders use a range of services that can have health and safety risks, including:

• appearance, wellness and beauty services (like tattooing and massage)
• cultural practices (such as customary tattooing)
• public swimming pools.

These services can pierce, burn or break the skin or spread infections. Most harm from these services are minor, but some have higher risks. For example:

• services that pierce the skin can spread blood-borne viruses such as hepatitis B and C
• laser treatments can cause eye damage and burns
• swimming pools can lead to waterborne illnesses, such as gastrointestinal infection.

The rules are set out in the Health and Hygiene Bylaw 2013 (Bylaw) and Health and Hygiene Code of Practice 2013 (Control).

These rules are part of a wider systems of laws and agencies that deal with public health and safety, including:

• the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 which sets out the principles, duties and rights for worker and workplace health and safety.
• the Health and Disability Commissioner which promotes the rights of New Zealanders who use health and disability services.
• the Environmental Protection Authority which sets standards for tattoo ink.

The key improvements we are proposing to make to the existing bylaw and control include:

• removing the licence requirement for services that can cause low to medium impact harms, for example:
  • fat-freezing
  • hair removal
  • manicures
  • pedicures
• removing specific rules for exfoliation, manicures and pedicures, and massage
• clarifying that practitioners registered with the Chinese Medicine Council of New Zealand do not need to follow the bylaw rules
• adding new rules for scarification (for example cuts or scars for body art)
• adding the power for council to approve alternative practices to the control’s rules
• updating general standards for premises and services that break or pierce the skin
• requiring all providers to be suitably qualified
• allowing the council to require a water treatment plan for public swimming pools
• updating rules to reflect current practice and technical advice that providers must follow
• making the bylaw and control easier to read and understand.

What we want your feedback on

We want you to tell us what you think about the bylaw and control proposal.

When you can have your say

You can have your say from Monday 4 May 2026 to Sunday 7 June 2026.

How you can have your say

The bylaw panel of two councillors will:

• consider public feedback
• update the proposal by August 2026.

The Governing Body will consider the updated proposal. They will make a final decision in September 2026.