19 April 2024
Rachael Nicoll
[FYI request #26177 email]
Official Information request – dog poo bags redemption scheme
I am writing in response to your request, received via FYI on 20 March 2024 for information relating
to the decision to adopt the discount voucher for redemption of VitaPet poo bags at supermarkets.
For clarity, the responses are set out to your information request, as received below.
1.
All information relating to the decision to adopt this scheme and the justification for doing
so* and a copy of the documentation presented to Council ors when making the decision
to implement a scheme, the records of the decision, and any discussion before the decision
was made. * Whether cal ed a business case, s17A report, or other name, and including but not limited to an
analysis of options, cost/benefits, environmental impact, risks, decision-making criteria, justifications for
selecting this scheme not other options, etc.
The decision to introduce the scheme was an operational decision made to work towards
the DCC 2030 Zero Carbon Plan. The decision was not made by Council. The decision made
was to reduce the carbon footprint that was created by importing the poo bags from China
and also by asking dog owners to travel to a DCC service desk twice a year to col ect the poo
bags.
Dog owners can redeem these vouchers when they do their regular supermarket shopping.
The other two alternative options that were considered were:
1. Partnering with local supermarkets to offer discounted vouchers. The DCC would pay
a percentage fee for the vouchers. This fee was not discussed before the option was
removed.
2. Placing poo bag dispensers and large poo bag rolls for free in popular dog walking
areas. This option was not pursued due to the VitaPet offer.
Both of these alternative options would mean that Council would be paying for either the
vouchers or the dog poo dispensers and bags.
The VitaPet offer to provide their product vouchers for free was accepted by Council staff.
2.
The registration number for the home compostable certification of the bags (not the
packaging in which the bags are sold)
We do not hold this information.
The statutory authority to include the pre-purchase payment in the dog registration fee
There was no need to seek statutory authority as the dog registration fees do not include any
cost for the dog poo bag redemption scheme.
Use of the Dog Control Act enforcement provisions to enforce payment of the pre-purchase
amount to Council.
Enforcement provisions were not required.
3.
The total amount expended on the scheme to date, including the cost of the voucher, and
advertising, in adequate detail for the categories of costs to be separately identified, and
identify which costs were charged to the dog control or the general rates budget.
The pamphlets promoting the lifetime dog tags and the dog poo bag vouchers were sent with
the dog registration invoices (see attachment). The cost was from the marketing budget and
was a total of $1,854 for 18,000 printed pamphlets. The discount voucher itself was provided
by Vitapet.
Please note that the announcement of the decomposable dog poo bags discount voucher was
released on 2 June 2023. The fol owing link details the background to new scheme,
https://www.dunedin.govt.nz/services/dogs/dog-poo-bags
4.
The total number of vouchers issued, and the number redeemed to date.
15,342 vouchers were sent out in the 2023/2024 dog registration reminder notice pack and
since then another 1,429 vouchers have been provided to new dog owners.
VitaPet have advised that the number of vouchers redeemed to 29 February 2024 is 850.
Prior to the introduction of this scheme dog owners pre-paid for 6 rolls of poo bags that were
collected from Council. Please provide the following:
5.
The number of rolls purchased for registration years 2021-2022 and 2022-2023, and cost per
roll (noting the CEO provided this information by letter dated 23 March for years 2019-2021
2021 so it cannot be refused on the basis it is commercially sensitive as previously claimed)
Year
Rol s purchased
Cost per roll
Total cost
(15 bags per roll)
(varies due to exchange rate of NZ & USA
dollar)
2021/22
50,000
$0.42
$20,861.49
2022/23
50,000
$0.50
$29,875.13
6.
The number of rolls collected by owners for years 2020-2021, 2021-2022, 2022-2023, and
the number of rol s sold.
Year
Number of rolls sold
Number of rolls collected
2020/21
293
This information is not held as data was not collected
2021/22
1,302
This information is not held as data was not collected
2022/23
2,083
This information is not held as data was not collected
7.
The number of uncol ected rol s held by Council when the scheme was closed at end
registration year 2023. (Noting the number has already been determined from other
information. This is an opportunity for Council to officially confirm that number.)
While we have not physical y counted the remaining dog poo bag rol s, there were
approximately 25,600 rolls uncol ected (noting that this figure is estimated on 400 rolls per
box).
Uncol ected rol s were distributed out to communities through Community Boards and
place- based groups.
We trust that this is the information sought.
Yours sincerely
Lauren Riddle
Governance Support Officer
Dunedin City Council Encl: 1
