ORRA Submission on the adoption of the proposed 2024-2025 dog registration fees and dog parks
Omokoroa Residents and Ratepayers Association Inc. (ORRA) opposes the adoption of the proposed increased dog registration fees as they are inadequate to meet the proposed cost of dog parks and provision of dog control services.
ORRA has taken this position because:
- a) The increases proposed in dog registration fees are insufficient to enable the dog control services provided by Council to be self-funding, resulting in this service being subsidised by general ratepayers.
- b) Proposed dog registration fees have not been increased sufficiently to fund the construction of dog parks (dog exercise areas) proposed for Omokoroa, Katikati and Waihi Beach. This will result in urban ratepayers also funding the construction and maintenance of these dog parks if they proceed.
- c) The results of a recent survey of ORRA members shows that greater than 70% wanted the dog control services provided by Council to be user-pays and that the construction and maintenance of any dog parks, should be paid for by urban dog owners because they cater solely for pet dogs and their owners and exclude the general public from reserve land to which they have a legal right of access.
- d) The adoption of Plan Change 92 allows a 30% increase in the town ultimate population from 10,000 to 13,000 resulting in increased population pressure on very limited reserve areas. Omokoroa cannot afford the luxury of effectively locking up valuable reserve area for the sole use of pet dogs and their owners.
- e) Dogs are the only proposed pet catered for.
ORRA advocates that:
- a) The dog registration fees for the 2024-25 financial year be increased to cover the entire cost of providing the dog control services provided by Council, including the projected capital and operational costs of any dog parks that may be constructed, and including Council’s actual capital and operational cost for the dog park in Te Puke.
- b) That the decision to construct a dog park in Omokoroa be reviewed given the recent adoption of Plan Change 92 resulting in a 30% increase in the township’s ultimate population, the very limited reserve area available for this increased population and the increased demand for reserves given the proposed minute section sizes.
- c) Ratepayer funding for the construction and maintenance of dog parks be removed from the annual plan or transferred to the Dog Control Account and dog registration fees be increased accordingly to cover this cost.
Unlike Council, relying on the predetermined outcome of polling only those attending the recent doggy day out as the primary source of information for decision making, ORRA has polled a random cross-section of the Omokoroa community to arrive at the above position, i.e. that dog control services and dog parks should be funded on a user-pays basis and not rely on ratepayer funding. Why indeed should non-dog owners pay for the entertainment of other peoples pets?
It is disturbing that Cr. Grainger, in a recent email, appears to support the biased Council approach to garner public opinion in support of decision-making (i.e. asking dog owners at a free Council-run dog event whether they would like a dog park without asking how much they would be prepared to pay for such a privilege) and I quote “your feedback will be considered along with all the other responses we garnered at the Doggy Day Out recently”. This is like asking a child in an ice-cream parlour whether they would like a free ice-cream; this pre-determines the answer.
The projected capital and operational costs of proposed dog parks are not insubstantial (see Attachment E of the business case provided in response to a LGOIMA request). Funding for these dog parks is 80% from dog fees, with the balance from external sources and residential rates, including money from Community Boards (rates in disguise).
As the proposed dog registration fees are insufficient to cover existing dog control services and dog parks do not appear as a line item on the dog control services cost breakdown, it is clear that Council expects ratepayers to foot the bill for these vanity projects.
ORRA recently polled its membership to determine what support there was for a dog park in Omokoroa and whether ratepayers were prepared to find the construction and operation of proposed dog parks. The results of this survey are considered objective as there is no bias given to polling dog-owners or non-dog-owners. In fact, we maintain no information on pet ownership of our constituent members.
The results of the ORRA survey on the funding of dog parks (attached, detailed results are available on the ORRA website https://omokoroaresidents.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/SURVEY-DogParkResults.pdf) are overwhelmingly in favour of user pays, i.e. that dog owners pay for these facilities and they are not subsidised by rates.
Council has spent millions on an extensive and very interesting system of walkways and parks and reserves throughout Omokoroa. These are used by dog owners to exercise and socialise their pets. These walkways are widely used by both pet and the majority non-dog owners.
Dr. Bruce McCabe
Chairman
Omokoroa Resident and Ratepayers Association Inc. (ORRA)