Auckland Council’s proposal to prohibit dogs from a significant portion of Te Arai’s coastline has sparked frustration and disappointment among local dog owners.

On February 4, more than 30 dog owners and their pets gathered at Forestry Beach (also known as Te Arai South) to voice their opposition to the proposed restrictions. If implemented, the plan would confine off-leash dogs to a small section of sand at Te Arai Point, commonly called Quarry Beach. With the surrounding beaches of Pakiri and Te Arai already designated as dog-free zones, Mangawhai Heads would become the closest accessible beach for dog walkers.

The council has justified the proposed ban as a measure to protect endangered wildlife, including dotterels. However, many long-time locals argue that they have walked their dogs in the area for decades without witnessing any harm to native species. Some have even stated they have never seen a dotterel at Forestry Beach.

Protesters criticised the council’s reasoning, highlighting the apparent contradiction between conservation efforts and ongoing developments in the area, such as tree removal, large-scale excavation, and seabed sand mining. They also don’t believe council have provided any concrete evidence linking dogs to environmental damage at the beach.

The proposal is part of a broader review of dog access rules across 14 regional parks, including Mahurangi East, Scott Point, Mahurangi West, Pakiri, Shakespear Regional Park, Tawharanui Regional Park and Wenderholm, to protect vulnerable native wildlife.

Many dog owners, however, say they were unaware of the proposed changes until recently, when locals such as Tonya McKay and Mark and Janet Holiday began raising awareness through social media, posters, and market stalls.

Mark pointed out that a designated dotterel protection zone already exists further along the beach, closer to the Mangawhai estuary, about five kilometres from the main Te Arai car park.

For a full list of comparison of existing and proposed amended regional park dog access rules head here

Auckland Council’s Proposal and How to Have Your Say

Auckland Council is reviewing its Policy on Dogs and the Dog Management Bylaw, which govern how dogs can be kept, their impact on public spaces, and their welfare.

As part of this review, the council is proposing changes that include:

• Setting a limit on the number of dogs a person can walk at one time in council-controlled public places
• Clarifying and updating dog access rules for 14 regional parks
• Updating dog access rules for 64 local parks and beaches
• Removing outdated or repetitive information
• Making the policy clearer and easier to understand

Information Sessions and Public Feedback

The council is holding in-person and online information sessions and ‘Have Your Say’ events from 30 January to 20 February 2025.

Dog owners and other community members need to have their say by 23^rd February:

• Filling in the online feedback form
• Registering to attend a Have Your Say event
• Emailing their feedback to [email protected]
• Calling 09 301 0101 to give feedback over the phone

All feedback will be considered before final decisions are made in mid-2025.

To learn more head to https://akhaveyoursay.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/dog-policy-bylaw-and-access-rules