Property Maintenance and Nuisance Bylaw Review

Statement of Proposal to amend Property

Maintenance and Nuisance Bylaw 2015

Our health and wellbeing are often influenced by other people’s activities on private property. This is especially true in urban areas where the population density is higher and in buildings that use industrial cooling tower systems. Poorly maintained private property can cause public health risks and nuisance, for example, by harbouring pests or growth of legionella bacteria.

What the current bylaw does

The current Property Maintenance and Nuisance Bylaw 2015 helps address public health and nuisance problems on private property. It does this by:

· requiring people to maintain their private property in a way that does not attract pests

· preventing the active feeding of wild birds or animals

· requiring properties in Auckland with industrial cooling tower water systems to register these with the council, regularly test and mitigate any risks of legionella bacteria.

How the bylaw helps

We make rules that regulate matters related to private property maintenance that can create public health risks or nuisances. These include problems related to overgrown vegetation, the storage of materials and unsecured abandoned buildings. The Bylaw regulates the feeding of wild or feral animals on private land and requires the annual registration and regular testing and maintenance of industrial cooling tower water systems to prevent Legionnaires’ disease.

Improving the current bylaw

A review of the current Property Maintenance and Nuisance Bylaw 2015 was completed in September 2020.

After considering the review findings, we are proposing to amend the Property Maintenance and Nuisance Bylaw 2015 to better minimise public health risks and nuisance caused by poorly maintained private property.

What we are proposing

Our main proposals include:

- removing rules about lighting now regulated in the Auckland Unitary Plan

- removing references to expired legacy bylaws

- updating the definitions, structure, format and wording of the Bylaw.

No feedback is being sought on moving the rule about feeding wild animals to the Animal Management Bylaw 2015 or impacts on property values, visual amenity or the environment.

What we want your feedback on

Please tell us what you think about the proposed amendments to the Property Maintenance and Nuisance Bylaw 2015.

Your feedback will help us to minimise public health risks and nuisance caused by poorly maintained private property

When can you have your say

You can have your say from 26 October until 5 December 2021.

How can you have your say

You can have your say by:

· completing the online feedback form on this page

· registering to give feedback at our online session on Monday 8 November 2021.