Agenda of Planning and Regulatory Committee

Notice of Meeting:

I hereby give notice that an ordinary meeting of the Planning and Regulatory Committee will be held on:

Date: Tuesday 30 August 2016

Time: 1.00 pm

Venue: Edinburgh Room, Municipal Chambers, The Octagon, Dunedin

Sue Bidrose

Chief Executive Officer

Planning and Regulatory Committee

PUBLIC AGENDA

MEMBERSHIP

Chairperson	David Benson-Pope
Deputy Chairperson	Aaron Hawkins
Members	John Bezett	Hilary Calvert
	Dave Cull	Doug Hall
	Mike Lord	Jinty MacTavish
	Andrew Noone	Neville Peat
	Chris Staynes	Richard Thomson
	Lee Vandervis	Andrew Whiley
	Kate Wilson

Senior Officer Simon Pickford, General Manager Services and Development

Governance Support Officer Lynne Adamson

Lynne Adamson

Governance Support Officer

Telephone: 03 477 4000

Lynne.Adamson@dcc.govt.nz

www.dunedin.govt.nz

Note: Reports and recommendations contained in this agenda are not to be considered as Council policy until adopted.

Planning and Regulatory Committee

30 August 2016

Part A Reports

Animal Services Annual Report to the Department of Internal Affairs

Department: Customer and Regulatory Services

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1 Section 10A of the Dog Control Act 1996 requires territorial authorities to publicly report each year on:

· The administration of their dog control policy and their dog control practices (section 10A(1)); and

· A variety of dog control related statistics (section 10A(2)).

2 The attached report (Attachment A) outlines the operations of the Dunedin City Council’s Animal Services Unit for the year ending 30 June 2016.

RECOMMENDATIONS

That the Planning and Regulatory Committee:

a) Notes the Animal Services annual report to the Department of Internal Affairs.

BACKGROUND

3 In accordance with section 10A of the Dog Control Act 1996 (DCA) the Dunedin City Council (DCC) is required to publicly report each financial year on the administration of its dog control policy, its dog control practices (Section 10A(1)) and on a variety of dog control related statistics (Section 10A(2)) (statistical information can be found in Attachment B).

4 The primary purpose of this report is to enable the community to see how the Council is managing its dog control responsibilities.

5 This report is for the period 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016.

Signatories

Author:

Ros MacGill - Manager Compliance Solutions

Authoriser:

Adrian Blair - Group Manager Customer and Regulatory Services

Simon Pickford - General Manager Community Services

Attachments

Title

Page

Annual DIA Report 2016

SUMMARY OF CONSIDERATIONS

Fit with purpose of Local Government

This report relates to providing a regulatory function and it is considered good-quality and cost-effective.

Fit with strategic framework

	Contributes	Detracts	Not applicable
Social Wellbeing Strategy	☒	☐	☐
Economic Development Strategy	☐	☐	☒
Environment Strategy	☒	☐	☐
Arts and Culture Strategy	☐	☐	☒
3 Waters Strategy	☐	☐	☒
Spatial Plan	☐	☐	☒
Integrated Transport Strategy	☐	☐	☒
Parks and Recreation Strategy	☒	☐	☐
Other strategic projects/policies/plans	☐	☐	☒

Animal Services contributes to the ‘healthy and safe people’ strategic direction of the Social Wellbeing Strategy, the ‘healthy environment’ goal of the Environment Strategy and the draft Parks and Recreation Strategy.

Māori Impact Statement

There are no known impacts for tangata whenua.

Sustainability

There are no implications for sustainability.

LTP/Annual Plan / Financial Strategy /Infrastructure Strategy

There are no implications.

Financial considerations

There are no financial implications.

Significance

This decision is considered low in terms of the Council’s Significance and Engagement Policy.

Engagement – external

There has been no external engagement.

Engagement - internal

There has been no internal engagement.

Risks: Legal / Health and Safety etc.

There are no identified legal or health and safety risks.

Conflict of Interest

There is no known conflict of interest.

Community Boards

There are no implications for Community Boards.

Planning and Regulatory Committee

30 August 2016

aTTACHMENT A

Dunedin city council’s animal services annual report to the department of internal affairs

Dog Control Policy and Practices

1. The Dunedin City Council covers a large geographical area, which includes both urban and rural dog owners. As at 30 June 2016 there were 17,057 registered dogs (92% were pet dogs). This is an increase of 480 dogs on the previous year.

2. In order to deliver an animal control service the Council has an Animal Services Unit consisting of a Manager, Senior Animal Services Officer, two Administration Officers (1.6 FTEs) and six FTE Animal Services Officers, one of which is a special duties officer who also conducts school and community education sessions.

3. The Animal Services Unit has a close working relationship with key stakeholders in the community such as the Society for the Protection of Animals, local veterinarians, Police, Department of Conservation, Yellow Eyed Penguin Trust, Dog Rescue Dunedin and dog clubs.

4. Following the review of the 2004 Bylaw and Policy and public consultation the Council adopted the new Dog Control Policy and Bylaw 2016 on 23 May 2016 with an operative date of 1 July 2016.

Dog Control Enforcement Practices

5. The Animal Services Unit operates a seven-day service from 7.00am to 8.00pm during the summer (daylight saving) and between 8.00am and 6.00pm during the winter. In addition the unit operates a 24-hour standby service for emergency call outs.

6. Over the last 12 months the unit responded to 3,420 complaints. Complaints included aggression, attacking, barking, fouling and wandering dogs and dogs that were "contained" by members of the public. Of the total number of complaints 62% were in relation to barking or wandering dogs. All complaints are followed through to completion.

7. In addition, 393 dogs were impounded over the review period, a decrease of 67 on the previous year. This decrease is as a result of more dogs being microchipped and registered thereby enabling the ASOs to identify the dog’s owner and where appropriate return the dog to them.

8. During the course of enforcing the dog control legislation and policies, 648 infringement notices were issued to dog owners, a decrease of 58 on the previous year. Two dog owners were prosecuted for a breach of the Dog Control Act over the 12 month period.

Dogs Prohibited, Leash Only and Dog Exercise Areas

9. The majority of Dunedin dog owners are generally very compliant with regard to not exercising their dogs in prohibited areas and in the use of a leash in "leash only" areas.

10. The Council has six dog exercise areas, two of which have a small dog exercise area within them, that are well patronised on a daily basis. Positive feedback from the public continues to confirm that they are very successful with both the socialisation of dogs and the interaction of people.

11. Each of the dog exercise parks has a unique design and has been built to maximise the use of the topography of the area. All the parks have double gates, dog poo bag dispensers, drinking fountains, a shelter for dog owners, agility equipment and the surrounding bark areas are regularly maintained and upgraded. The ratio of dog exercise parks to known dogs (registered and unregistered) is 1:2,875.

Dog Registration and Other Fees

12. Dog registration fees increased by 3% to $93 to register a pet dog. The fee for the first working dog and the second and subsequent working dogs also increased by 3% to $47 and $23 respectively.

13. To ensure there is ongoing compliance with owners registering their dogs, the Animal Services Unit is continuing to undertake a zero tolerance policy in regard to any known unregistered dogs, and any dogs that were still unregistered after being issued with an infringement notice were impounded. This strategy has been very successful.

14. In addition, the Unit is monitoring the number of impounded dogs that are unregistered and during this report period 45% of impounded dogs were unregistered. This is a 9% decrease from the previous year.

Dog Education

15. The Dunedin City Council’s Selected Owner Policy (SOP) exists to recognise and encourage responsible dog ownership. Providing the dog owner has not had any valid complaints in the previous two years in regard to the management of their dog, they may apply for SOP status and if successful will receive a 44% discount on future dog registration fees.

16. In order for dog owners to become selected owners they are required to be present during an inspection of their property by an Animal Services Officer. The inspection is to ensure that the property meets the required standard in relation to adequate fencing and also to test the dog owner’s knowledge of relevant aspects of the local bylaw and Dog Control Act.

17. Currently 28% of pet owners are classified as "selected owners" which is a 1% increase from the previous year.

18. The Unit is also very proactive in conducting newspaper and radio advertising programmes promoting dog owner responsibilities. This has been found to be a positive and an effective medium to assist in having dogs accepted by the general public in an urban environment.

19. A school and community group education programme is also conducted and over the twelve-month period the Animal Services Officer (Special Duties) visited sixteen schools and two community groups in Dunedin. Presentations were given to 33 classes.

Disqualified and Probationary Dog Owners

20. Over the last 12 months four dog owners were classified as probationary owners and no dog owners were classified as being disqualified from owning a dog.

Menacing and Dangerous Dogs

21. The Council has a total of 11 dogs classified as dangerous with six of these classifications being issued as a result of sworn evidence from the public. In addition, the Council has 195 dogs classified as menacing (37 of these dogs were classified as menacing during the last 12 months). The Council has 118 dogs classified as menacing by breed (22 of these dogs were classified by breed during the last 12 months).

Pound Facility

22. The facility continues to provide an excellent standard of kennels. The security is to a very high standard which has resulted in no break-ins.

General Information

23. The Council promotes a dog neutering programme for owners who would have difficulty meeting the costs. The full cost of the operation is paid by the Dunedin City Council and the number of dogs neutered in the last 12 months was 275. This service is put out to tender annually to local veterinarians to ensure a competitive price is achieved. As at 30 June 2015 9,499 of pet dogs have been neutered in Dunedin, which is 61% of the total number of registered pet dogs and a 2% increase from the previous year.

24. Over the last year 94% of impounded dogs (369 of 393) were either claimed or adopted. Twenty-four dogs (6%) were euthanised due to not being claimed by their owner and were either classified as menacing by breed (therefore not permitted to be re-homed) or when assessed by staff were found to be unsuitable to be re-homed.

25. The benefits of microchipping has continued over the last 12 months, making it easier for Animal Services Officers to identify the owners of wandering and impounded dogs and with veterinarians providing updated details of dogs they have microchipped enabling Animal Services to check they are registered.

26. When dog owners register their dog they are given information packs that contain advice on how to care for their dog, responsibilities as a dog owner and a list of areas they can exercise their dogs throughout the city.

27. In an effort to reduce dog fouling in the city more poo bag dispensers and signage has been placed at popular walking places across the city.

28. Dog Rescue Dunedin continues to work alongside Dunedin City Council’s Animal Services team under a Memorandum of Understanding helping to provide homes for unwanted pound dogs. The relationship between DRD and Animal Services has developed over the past five years and proven to be a very positive and constructive one. As a result of DRD’s hard work and dedication to this cause the majority of the unwanted pound dogs are rehomed.

Planning and Regulatory Committee

30 August 2016

Dog Control Statistical Information

Section 10A(2) of the Dog Control Act 1996 requires territorial authorities to publically report each financial year on a variety of dog control related statistics in a tabular format.

Column B shows the total number at 30 June 2016 on DCC record and Column C shows the number recorded during the period from 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016. For example, as at 30 June 2016 the DCC have eleven dangerous dogs on record. This number changes each year as some dogs may have died and others may have moved districts. Of those eleven dogs five were classified in the last twelve months.

Category (A)	Total in Dunedin City as at 30 June 2016 (B)	Period 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016 (C)
1) Total # Registered Dogs	17,057	Statistics not required
2) Total # Probationary Owners	6	5
3) Total # Disqualified Owners	3	0
4) Total # Dangerous Dogs	11	5
Dangerous by Owner Conviction	3	3
Dangerous by Sworn Evidence	6	1
Dangerous by Owner Admittance in Writing s31(1)(c)	2	1
5) Total # Menacing Dogs	195	37
Menacing under s33A(1)(b)(i) - ie by Behaviour	77	15
Menacing under s33A(1)(b)(ii) - by Breed Characteristics	0	0
Menacing under s33C(1) by Schedule 4 Breed	118	22
6) Total # Infringement Notices	Statistics not required	648
7) Total # Complaints Received	Statistics not required	3,420
Aggressive	Statistics not required	198
Attack	Statistics not required	283
Barking	Statistics not required	902
Fouling	Statistics not required	69
Wandering	Statistics not required	1,204
Dogs Contained	Statistics not required	737
Dogs Impounded	Statistics not required	393
8) Total # Prosecutions Taken	Statistics not required	2
9) Total # Pet Dogs	Statistics not required	15,758
10) Total # Pet Dogs Neutered	Statistics not required	9,499
11) Total # Selected Owners	Statistics not required	3,593
12) Total # Schools Visited	Statistics not required	16
Number of Classes	Statistics not required	33
13) Total # Dog Exercise Areas	Statistics not required	6
Ratio of Known Dogs to Exercise Areas	Statistics not required	2,875

Planning and Regulatory Committee

30 August 2016

Planning and Regulatory Non-Financial Activity Report for the Quarter ended 30 June 2016

Department: Community and Planning

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1 This report updates the Committee on activities including city planning, resource consents, building services, alcohol licensing, environmental health, animal control and parking enforcement.

RECOMMENDATIONS

That the Committee:

a) Notes the Planning and Regulatory Non-Financial Activity Report for the Quarter Ended 30 June 2016.

BACKGROUND

2 The Community and Planning group of activities works with other agencies to set the direction for managing Dunedin’s built and natural environment, and is responsible for promoting the sustainable management of the natural and physical resources through its administration of the functions of the Council under the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA).

3 Regulatory Services contributes directly to the Safe and Healthy City outcome and enhances personal safety in relation to building services, animal services, health licensing, the sale and supply of alcohol and parking enforcement.

DISCUSSION

Service and Satisfaction

4 The Residents’ Opinion Survey is the principal mechanism by which the Council measures resident satisfaction with a wide range of its activities.

5 The final results report from Key Research for the 2015/16 Residents’ Opinion Survey was not available at the time of writing. A full report on 2015/16 ROS results will be made available in September 2016 in accordance with past practice.

6 From July 2016 the Residents’ Opinion Survey commenced being conducted on a continuous monthly basis, and future results will be reported to the Committee on a quarterly basis.

Value and Efficiency

7 Throughout 2015/16 the Resource Consents team has achieved 100% compliance with the processing of resource consents within statutory timeframes.

8 Building Consents activity continues to be higher than the corresponding time last year. The number of building consent applications in progress was 65% higher in the quarter to 30 June 2016 compared to the same period last year, while there was a 20% increase in the value of building work for which consents were sought compared to the same quarter last year.

9 Recruitment continued for building consent processing staff to fill two vacancies. Staff continued to work overtime in order to address the backlog, as well as outsourcing applications to external contractors and engaging contractors to work in-house. At the time of writing this report consent processing was back within the statutory timeframes.

10 The format of the alcohol licensing data is being reviewed and has been omitted from this report until the content and format is finalised.

11 Over 80% of Dunedin food premises are now operating under the new risk based management system, enabling them to implement higher food safety standards. As a consequence there is a small increase in the “A” graded food premises for the quarter ending 30 June 2016.

12 The increase in the number of Animal Services’ customer requests received over the quarter ending June 2016 corresponds with the review of the Dog Control Policy and Bylaw. During this period public awareness of animal control and the behaviour of dogs increased as a result of media coverage. An increase in patrols by Animal Services Officers at the popular dog walking tracks has also generated further interest in the service.

13 The drop in parking infringements during the month of May was due to the staff recruitment and training which resulted in two staff being unavailable on the road. The remaining two months have tracked as expected with a full complement of officers available.

14 Abandoned vehicle complaints remains high in the three months to 30 June 2016, with lower steel prices a likely factor. Blocked vehicle entrances have also accounted for a greater number of infringements, possibly as a result of greater public awareness of the availability of enforcement following publicity about this issue.

Major Initiatives

15 Environmental Health - The implementation of the new Food Act 2014 continues with meetings being held new businesses that are required to register with their local authority by March 2017.

16 Animal Services - The implementation of the new Dog Control Bylaw and Policy 2016 is underway. To ensure dog owners are aware of the changes new signage is being placed across the city at sports grounds, beaches and cemeteries.

17 Building Services - Building Services are carrying out a review of the steps of the consenting and other processes within the unit in order to improve efficiencies and processing times.

18 Second Generation Plan (2GP) - The 2GP programme is in the Hearings stage. As at the end of June 2016, eight of the 25 hearing topics had been heard. This has involved 13 hearing days, with 79 further hearing days scheduled for the remaining 17 hearing topics. The Hearing Schedule has been adjusted to accommodate more hearings, additional time for Section 42A preparation, and hearing deliberations, with the final hearing, previously scheduled for late February 2017, now scheduled for mid-May 2017.

Capital Projects

19 Central City Plan - A confirmed Central City Plan project management structure is now in place, with Rachael Eaton from Boffa Miskell appointed as the programme manager.

20 Amenity works to upgrade Jetty Street have been awarded to Fulton Hogan with work scheduled to commence on 9 October 2016.

OPTIONS

21 As this is an update report there are no options.

NEXT STEPS

22 A further update report will be provided after the conclusion of the next quarter.

Signatories

Author:	Jessie Wu - Policy Advisor
Authoriser:	Simon Pickford - General Manager Community Services

Attachments

There are no attachments for this report.

SUMMARY OF CONSIDERATIONS

Fit with purpose of Local Government

This report relates to providing a public service and it is considered good-quality and cost-effective.

Fit with strategic framework

	Contributes	Detracts	Not applicable
Social Wellbeing Strategy	☒	☐	☐
Economic Development Strategy	☒	☐	☐
Environment Strategy	☒	☐	☐
Arts and Culture Strategy	☒	☐	☐
3 Waters Strategy	☐	☐	☒
Spatial Plan	☒	☐	☐
Integrated Transport Strategy	☒	☐	☐
Parks and Recreation Strategy	☒	☐	☐
Other strategic projects/policies/plans	☒	☐	☐

The Planning and Regulatory portfolio of activities support the outcomes of a number of strategies.

Māori Impact Statement

There are no known impacts for tangata whenua.

Sustainability

As an update report, there are no specific implications for sustainability.

LTP/Annual Plan / Financial Strategy /Infrastructure Strategy

As an update report there are no implications for the LTP, although some measures are level of service performance measures annually reported as part of the LTP.

Financial considerations

The updates reported are within existing operating and capital budgets.

Significance

This decision is considered of low significance under the Significance and Engagement Policy.

Engagement – external

As an update report no external engagement has been undertaken.

Engagement - internal

As an update report no internal engagement has been undertaken.

Risks: Legal / Health and Safety etc.

There are no identified risks.

Conflict of Interest

There are no known conflicts of interest.

Community Boards

Not applicable.