The final documents were adopted by Council on 23 September 2026. The changes will become effective from 1 December 2026.
During consultation we received 171 submissions. Every submission was read and considered carefully when making final decisions.
We consulted on the community on the following points, and after deliberating on all the submissions received, Council decided the following.
Changes adopted by Council as proposed:
Changes that were proposed for consultation, but were not adopted:
As a result of community and stakeholder feedback, Council also made some further changes:
We think the current policy and bylaw are generally working well and contain the right tools to address the dog control issues we commonly see in our district.
However, there’s still room for improvement. Recent serious dog incidents elsewhere in New Zealand have renewed public concern and highlighted the importance of effective dog control.
At the start of the year, we asked the community to share their thoughts about the Council’s rules for dogs. From that feedback, we saw a few recurring themes that have helped shape this review.
As a result, we're now proposing to make five key changes (alongside a range of smaller changes). One change will also require a minor amendment to our Cemeteries Bylaw. We'd love fetch your feedback on these proposed changes.
Feedback closes Wednesday 15 July
Dogs are required to be under effective control at all times in public places, even in our off-leash areas.
We're proposing to update our definition and better describe what 'effective control' means, so it's clear what is required of people with dogs.
Pioneer Park is a closed cemetery, so we're proposing to remove it from our off-leash areas, as we have rules which prohibit dogs from cemeteries (we're also thinking about changing this rule, see below).
We're also proposing to reduce the off-leash exercise area at Smallbone Drive Reserve as it's now a popular place for disc golf.
We're proposing to extend the off-leash areas at Argyle Park and Company Road in the Ashburton Business Estate.
While not our preferred option, we're also looking for feedback on the alternative option of removing the off-leash areas from Argyle Park and requiring dogs to remain on-leash.
We've identified three locations around the district that could be used as new off-leash exercise areas. These include areas in Lake Hood, Braebrook (Ashburton) and Methven.
We’re proposing to remove cemeteries from our list of prohibited areas and allow dogs into cemeteries while on a leash. This change would also require a small amendment to our Cemeteries Bylaw.
We're also proposing to extend the prohibited area at Ashton Beach to protect local biodiversity.
Council is also considering other changes that are smaller or more administrative in nature. We welcome your feedback on these.
Have questions or want to learn more about a project, contact us below:
| Phone | 03-307 7700 |
|---|---|
| info@adc.govt.nz | |
| Website | www.ashburtondc.govt.nz |
| In writing | 2 Baring Square East, Ashburton 7700 |
