Off-leash dog park proposed for Kerikeri
An online survey is asking for community feedback on a proposed off-leash dog park in Kerikeri, with two concept options on the table.
Residents are being asked for feedback on a proposal to create a dedicated, off-leash dog park in Kerikeri.
There are 236 council-owned reserves within 10km of Kerikeri township. Of these, the reserve at the end of Waitotara Drive stood out as the most suitable in land area, terrain and location for a designated off-leash dog park.
An online survey asking for community feedback on the proposal aims to gauge the need for an off-leash dog park and is asking people to choose between two draft design options. Option 1 includes standard amenities such as seating, disability access and dog waste bins. Option 2 adds special amenities, such as dog exercise and play features, an agility area, a boardwalk and a dog wash station. Those providing feedback will also be surveyed on how often they use dog parks, how far they would travel to access a dog park, and to rate their choice of facilities in order of importance.
The cost of Option 1 is estimated to be approximately $130,000, while pricing for Option 2 will be dependent on results of the online survey. There is currently $72,000 budgeted for the project in the council’s Long Term Plan 2021/31, meaning further funding or resourcing would be required for the proposal to go ahead. The survey also asks whether respondents would be interested in supporting this project as a volunteer.
The survey is the first phase of consultation to determine the level of community support for the project. It is now live on the council website and will run until 5pm Thursday 15 December.
If the proposal is supported by the community, the site will require a resource consent to proceed. Any work required to get the park ‘dog ready’ would not start before September/October 2023.
Currently there are four parks and reserves in the Far North where dogs can be off-leash but under the control of their owners. They are:
- Kerikeri – Roland’s Wood, 240 Kerikeri Inlet Road, Kerikeri
- Kerikeri – Sammaree Place Reserve, Kerikeri
- Kerikeri – Waitotara Reserve, Waipapa Road, Kerikeri
- Kaikohe – Old Landfill at Lindvart Park, Recreation Road, Kaikohe.
Maps of other dog walking areas in the Far North can be found in the Dog-management-policy-2018.pdf (fndc.govt.nz) on our website (from page 20).
Option 1 Draft Concept Plan
Option 2 Draft Concept Plan
