Formal consultation process closed on 20 November 2018. 

View our current bylaws, including the Draft Parks and Reserves Bylaw »

Under sections 158 to 160 of the Act, the Council is required to review all bylaws within five years of their adoption and every ten years thereafter.

Council staff have reviewed Part 17: Parks and Reserves Bylaw 2008 and consider that while some of the bylaw is relevant and working well, much of it duplicates other bylaws or prohibits activities already covered by legislation. Therefore the most significant change proposed in this Draft Bylaw is the deletion of 14 sections from the existing bylaw.

Other key changes from the existing bylaw include:

• Expanding the section Interpretation to include all relevant terms and definitions;
• Clarifying within each section that the restrictions apply in parks as well as reserves. The current bylaw refers only to reserves;
• Adding clauses to the Waste section prohibiting the disposal of household waste in waste receptacles located within parks and reserves, and prohibiting the discharge of waste or stormwater onto parks or reserves from adjoining properties. This has been a problem in some locations;
• Removing the prohibition on the use of playground equipment by individuals over the age of 12 years old. This is because of stricter playground standards (i.e. modern playground equipment is designed take greater weights), and because caregivers will often play with children on these facilities; and
• Re-ordering the sections so they follow a natural progression through the bylaw.

Please note: Restrictions relating to freedom camping or overnight parking are not part of this bylaw. These issues are out of scope for this review and will not be considered. 

Council invites the community to give us feedback on the proposed Bylaw to assist it in the decision-making process.

Consultation and Submissions

The formal consultation process closed on 20 November 2018. Council will hold a hearing in December 2018.

Any person or organisation is welcome to make a submission on the Draft Parks and Reserves Bylaw 2018. The Council will take into account all submissions when it decides on the final content of the bylaw.

Documents

• Draft Parks and Reserves Bylaw 2018 - (PDF, 1.3 MB)
• Statement of Proposal Draft Parks and Reserves Bylaw 2018 - (PDF, 548 KB)
• Summary of Proposal Parks and Reserves for Consultation - (PDF, 504 KB)

Hard copies are also available from:

• Whakatāne District Council, 14 Commerce Street, Whakatāne
• Whakatāne Library, 49 Kahahoroa Drive, Whakatāne
• Edgecumbe Library, 38 College Road, Edgecumbe
• Ōhope Library, 4 Harbour Road, Ōhope
• Murupara Library / Service Centre, Civic Square, 48 Pine Drive, Murupara