How are dog registration fees used?

D J Price made this Official Information request to Dunedin City Council

The request was partially successful.

From: D J Price

Dear Dunedin City Council,

My preference is to receive the requested information through the fyi.org.nz platform.

I am keen to understand where the money raised from all dog registration fees are used. I have seen publicity that is sent out with the registration invoice, but I am seeking more detailed information.

My understanding is that Section 9 of the Dog Control Act 1996 says that money received under that Act must only be used for purposes authorised by that Act. Yet, all publicly available financial information categorises expenditure under “Animal Services” or “Animal Control” and my expectation is that these activities are broader than the purposes authorised by the Dog Control Act. Indeed, a recent ODT article refers to the DCC budgeting for activities and funding them from dog registration fees.
(For example, Free compostable poo bags for Dunedin dog walkers | Otago Daily Times Online News https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/free-...)

Therefore, what I'd like is the following information: For the 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2015 financial/reporting years the documentation recording income and expenditure for:
-- Dog Control activities authorised by the Dog Control Act (including sources of money received under the Dog Control Act and income from general rate-payer contributions.)
-- General "Animal Control" activities (that are not dog-related)

- The income and expenditure projections for the current financial/reporting year, for both activities.

I appreciate your help providing this information.

My preference is to receive the requested information through the fyi.org.nz platform.

Yours faithfully,

D J Price

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From: Lauren McDonald
Dunedin City Council


Attachment 119091111534801263.png
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Attachment Statement of Financial Performance Animal Control and summary.pdf
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Dear Sir/Madam

 

This email is our response to your Local Government Information and
Meetings Act request, received on 27 August 2019, which I have restated
below for clarity:

 

For the 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2015 financial/reporting years the
documentation recording income and expenditure for:
-- Dog Control activities authorised by the Dog Control Act (including
sources of money received under the Dog Control Act and income from
general rate-payer contributions.)
-- General "Animal Control" activities (that are not dog-related)
- The income and expenditure projections for the current
financial/reporting year, for both activities.

Attached please find a Statement of Financial Performance for the Animal
Control Business Unit for the years 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2019/2020
which provides a breakdown of the revenue and expenditure and general
Animal Control activities.

 

I regard to the example your provided of the “free compostable poo bags
for Dunedin dog walkers” (ODT article).  Please be advised that Under
section 4(a)(iii) of the Dog Control Act 1996 it states that one of the
objects of this Act is to make better provision for the care and control
of dogs by imposing on the owners of dogs, obligations designed to ensure
that dogs do not cause a nuisance to any person and do not injure,
endanger, or cause distress to any person.  By providing dog owners with
compostable poo bags (at no additional charge to the registration fee) we
are encouraging dog owners to be responsible and pick up after their dogs
(thereby not creating a nuisance).  We acknowledge that the bags are not
‘free’ in that there’s a cost, and in the future we will note that there
is no extra cost for the bags (over and above registration fees) rather
than stating that they are free.

 

I trust this answers your query.

 

Yours faithfully

 

Lauren McDonald

Governance Support Officer
CORPORATE SERVICES GROUP              

P  03 477 4000  |  DD  03 474 3428  |  E [1][email address

Dunedin City Council, 50 The Octagon, Dunedin

PO Box 5045, Dunedin 9054

New Zealand

[2]www.dunedin.govt.nz

 

 

 

[3]DCC Main Page

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