Dear Alyssa

 

Please find below our response to your official information request of 25
November 2020.   Our responses are provided in blue to each of your
questions detailed below (in your original request).  As part of your
request has been declined, you have the right to seek an investigation and
review by the Ombudsman of this decision. Information about how to make a
complaint is available at 
[1]https://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/get-...

 

Yours sincerely

 

Lauren McDonald

Governance Support Officer
CORPORATE SERVICES GROUP              

P  03 477 4000  |  DD  03 474 3428  |  E [2][email address] 

Dunedin City Council, 50 The Octagon, Dunedin

PO Box 5045, Dunedin 9054

New Zealand

[3]www.dunedin.govt.nz

 

 

[4]DCC Main Page

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From: Alyssa Lee <[FOI #14206 email]>
Sent: Wednesday, 25 November 2020 2:09 p.m.
To: Official Information <[email address]>
Subject: Official Information request - Dog Control-Related Information

 

Dear Dunedin City Council,

My preference is to receive the requested information through the
fyi.org.nz platform.
1. For the financial year 2019-2020 the Dunedin City Council stated dog
owners were given compostable dog poo bags. Please provide the following
information:

(a) The total number of owners who collected rolls of bags for their dogs,
and the number of rolls collected for each dog. 

This information unknown and therefore is declined pursuant to section 17
(g) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 as
the information is not held.

(b) The overall total number of rolls collected. 27,400 rolls

(c) The total number of rolls purchased to be available under the “free”
scheme, and the total cost of the rolls purchased. 56,000 rolls were
purchased. 

The cost of the rolls is commercially sensitive, therefore this request
for information is declined pursuant to section 7 (2) (b) (ii) of the
Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987.

(d) The number of rolls purchased to be resold (rather than collected
under the “free” scheme) and the total cost of those rolls.  No additional
poo bags were purchased to be re-sold however if a dog owner requested to
purchase additional bags they would be permitted to purchase them at
$1.50/roll.  These rolls would be from the total advised in response to
Question C of 56,000.

(e) The number of rolls sold, and the total money received from those
sales. This information is not held and is therefore declined pursuant to
section 17 (g) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings
Act 1987.

2. The compostable dog poo bag scheme is listed as one initiative to
reduce dog fouling in the “Animal Services Report to the Department of
Internal Affairs” presented to the Planning and Environment Committee on
22 September 2020. It is also stated to be a way to reduce environmental
impact on the Dunedin City Council website.  The scheme has now been
continued for the 2020-2021 registration year which would only be prudent
if it was achieving the stated goals.

 

Please provide the information used to determine the scale of the fouling
problem before the commencement of the scheme, the information collected
to confirm the scheme reduced fouling and environmental impacts for the
2019-2020 year.

Information used to determine the scale of a fouling problem is based on
the number of fouling complaints received by Council, which are as follows
for the financial years 2018/19 to 2020/21:

2018/2019 – 57

2019/2020 – 30

2020/2021 – 08 (year to date)

Note I expect this information will be readily to hand given the report
has only just been presented.

3. Could you please provide
(a) The 2002 Dog Control Policy and Bylaw

I advise that there is no 2002 Dog Control Policy and Bylaw, there is a
2004 Dog Control Policy and this is attached to this response for your
information.  The Dog Control Policy 2016 is also attached.

(b) The Policy and Bylaw that predated the 2002 documents but is
identified as “as amended in 1997”.

A copy of the Dunedin City Council Dog Control Bylaw 1997 is attached for
your information.

(c) The Dog Control Policy and Bylaw that predated the documents that were
amended in 1997.

I advise that prior to 1996 the Dunedin City Council worked under the
Hydatids Control Act 1959 and a Dog Control Policy was not required. 
Council commenced working under the Dog Control Act from 1996 and I
therefore decline this request pursuant to section 17(e) of the Local
Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987, as no information
has been found to be held.

4. For the 2019-2020 registration year the registration fees for
“responsible owner’s” dogs were increased by 3.45%, the rate for the site
visit increased by 2.97% and second and subsequent working dogs 3.85%. The
neutering rebate remained the same. Conversely the dangerous dog fee was
increased by only 2.91% and impounding related fees were not increased at
all.  The Council Dog Control Policy 2016 establishes graduated fees to
target high demand users and deter non-compliance.

 

Please provide the evidence that “responsible owners”, neutered dogs and
second and subsequent working dogs are high demand non-compliant users,
the problem was so prevalent it required deterrence by imposing a punitive
fee increase greater than the fees for dangerous and impounded dogs, and
the increase would reduce the problem.

In your question you appear to be seeking evidence as to why dangerous and
impounded dogs fees  were less than the increase for “responsible
owners”.  I advise that Council does not set
the                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
    dangerous dog registration fee, as it is set by legislation under the
Dog Control Act, section 32 (1) (e) “the owner of the dog must, in respect
of every registration year commencing after the date of receipt of the
notice of classification, be liable for dog control fees for that dog at
150% of the level that would apply if the dog were not classified as a
dangerous dog”. 

 

Impounding fees were not increased by Council as the current fee is
considered punitive enough.  Attached is a copy of the Dog Control Act
1996 for your information

Yours faithfully,

Alyssa Lee
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