Council adopts eight new bylaws

20 June 2008

You can access the Hearing Panel's reports to Council on each of the Bylaws  here.

Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker has congratulated councillors and staff members for bringing in eight new bylaws for adoption before Council within the allocated time frame.

Twenty two of the 34 bylaws in the Christchurch City/Banks Peninsula districts needed to be reviewed (or left to lapse) by 30 June 2008 under the Local Government Act 2002 which placed requirements on all councils their older bylaws within a particular timeframe.

The Mayor, as well as a number of other councillors, praised Cr Sue Wells for the outstanding work in heading the review of each of the bylaws. Cr Wells, Chair of the Regulatory and Planning Committee and the Chair of the hearing panels for all of the recent bylaw reviews, was commended for the energy she brought to the review.

He also praised the Council staff involved in the review, saying: “We are the tip of the iceberg: behind us is the huge amount of staff work that enabled this to happen.” He then asked the Chief Executive Officer Tony Marryatt to convey his appreciation to the staff. Mr Marryatt was also praised for bringing the issue of refunds on traffic fines to the Council.

It was about governance, about having an open mind and about performing their duty in relations to legislature, said Mr Parker before the Council unanimously passed the new bylaws

The eight new bylaws adopted by the Council are Dog Control, Public Places, Traffic and Parking, Water Related Services, Parks and Reserves, Marine and River Facilities, Stock Control and the General Bylaw. The new Stock Control Bylaw formerly resided in Traffic and Parking but it is now a stand-alone bylaw after a recommendation from the Hearings Panel.

The new bylaws are largely updated versions of the existing bylaws.  The review involved rationalising and updating the bylaws so that they are appropriate to the current context.

• The new Stock Control Bylaw controls the management and movement of stock on roads, in order to protect people, traffic and stock, while safeguarding the condition of the road. 
• The new Public Places Bylaw enables the management of public places in order to balance the various different, and sometimes competing, lawful uses for which public places may be used. 
• The new Marine and River Facilities Bylaw regulates and controls activities on, in and around Council-controlled marine and river facilities for the benefit and enjoyment of all users of those facilities.
• The new Parks and Reserves Bylaw regulates activities in parks and reserves in order to protect these assets and to balance different uses for the enjoyment of the public.  
• The new Water Related Services Bylaw regulates water supply, wastewater and stormwater drainage in order to manage the supply of water by Council to premises and to deal with certain land drainage issues.
• The new Dog Control Bylaw is intended to regulate and control dogs.  It imposes obligations on owners to ensure that dogs do not create a nuisance, or endanger or injure people, wildlife or other animals.
• The new General Bylaw contains provisions which are common to all of the Council’s bylaws, will ensure that the Council’s bylaws are administered and enforced in an efficient, fair, transparent and consistent manner.  
• The new Traffic and Parking Bylaw regulates and controls traffic and parking, to balance the competing demands on the road space, while maintaining a safe and efficient infrastructure.

Several decisions on revoking bylaws or allowing them to lapse were made at recent Council meetings.  These were the BPDC Public Swimming Pools Bylaw 1972; the CCC Public Swimming Pools Bylaw 1979; the BPDC Amusement Devices and Shooting Galleries Bylaw 1996; and the BPDC Nuisances Bylaw 1996. The matters covered by these bylaws are now covered by other legislation or do not need to be regulated, as they can be managed by other means. 

Copies of the bylaws, as well as the Hearing Panel’s Report to Council will be available at all Council offices and Service Centres, and on the Council website www.ccc.govt.nz/bylaws before July 1, when the new bylaws come into effect.

Meanwhile, you can access the Hearing Panel's reports to Council on each of the Bylaws here.

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