Dear Dunedin City Council,

These requests arise from the parts of the agenda of the Customer and Regulatory meeting held 21 May 2024 about the review of the dog policy and bylaw intended to commence next month.
This information is required to consider the information in that agenda, allow informed discussions amongst interested parties, and provide informed submissions in the upcoming review. The absence of the information will prevent that occurring and negatively impact the consultation. Please provide the information with urgency to prevent repeating the same disadvantage caused by failing to comply with the LGOIMA requirements in relation to requests for the Annual Plan consultation. Noting the LGOIMA allows information to be released in stages, and doing so will comply with the requirement to provide it with urgency, as soon as reasonably practicable.
1. Please provide the number of incidents involving wildlife, and the location, for the last 5 years, adequate information for the nature of the incident to be identified (for example whether disturbance, harassment, injury or death) and whether it involved dogs or non-dog actors such as vehicles, or those unaccompanied by a dog, and the enforcement action taken.
2. Clause 1.1 of the proposed Dog Control Policy states DOC has agreed the DCC bylaw will apply to beaches over which DOC has legal control. Please provide the legal authority to apply the DCC Bylaw to land controlled by DOC, to enter into an agreement with DOC that will occur, and a copy of that agreement.
3. Please provide the legal authority to apply the DCC Bylaw to land controlled by the Otago Regional Council, and the communications that record ORC agrees to that occurring.
4. The summary of considerations refers to environmental sustainability. Please provide all materials relating to the environmental assessment that was performed, including how that is reflected and achieved in the proposed documents.
5. The report and proposed Policy and Bylaw contain numerous statements of a scientific nature. The number is too excessive to itemise. To make it easier for Council, please provide all scientific materials relied on when authoring the documents. For example, the names of the veterinarian manuals consulted, or copies of the scientific research published in credible scientific journals. Noting that stating that information cannot be provided because the documents are copied from other Council’s is inadequate because these are documents asserted by the DCC. Failing to provide supporting evidence will confirm the DCC lacks any proof the purported scientific statements are correct.

Yours faithfully,

Andy Langford