Wanganui District councillors have decided on a list of 17 parks and reserves in the district from which serial sex offender Stewart Murray Wilson will be trespassed.
The council approved the list at a council meeting yesterday, and also agreed to review the list in 12 months' time.
Wilson has just finished 18 years of a 21-year sentence for multiple sexual offences against women and children. He has been paroled to live in a house just outside Whanganui Prison, under strict conditions.
The list of banned parks and reserves was drawn up by councillors Jack Bullock and Ray Stevens.
Council's lawyers at Kensington Swan said the council needed to consider each individual location it intended to ban Wilson from.
"[Council needs to] give a brief explanation of why it has a reasonable cause to suspect that Wilson is likely to trespass on that property, and that Wilson could be considered to be a threat to public safety and vulnerable people at that property," Kensington Swan's report said.
The council voted on each individual location, one by one. Mayor Annette Main and Councillor Allan Anderson voted against each one, while Councillor Hamish McDouall voted against some of them.
When challenged by Councillor Philippa Baker-Hogan, Ms Main gave an explanation of why she was voting against trespassing Wilson.
"At this time I cannot honestly say I have good reason to believe he will trespass on these properties. It has nothing to do with how welcome he is in our community, or with the safety of our community," Ms Main said.
The Wharf St slipway was removed from the list, because councillors believed it was not necessary; and Pauri Lake was not included, because it is privately owned and the council had no jurisdiction over it.
However, the Probation Service has told the council that Wilson would not be allowed to go to any park or school in the district.
Mr Stevens told the meeting he and Mr Bullock had delivered trespass notices, intended for Wilson, to businesses on Victoria Ave between the city bridge and Ingestre St. Mr Stevens said all except eight businesses had taken trespass notices.
Some councillors expressed concern at the intention of Mr Stevens and Mr Bullock to personally deliver the trespass notices to Wilson.
Alan Taylor, the chairman of the Rural Community Board, said he was worried by the damage to Wanganui's reputation from media publicity around the Wilson case, and was concerned this event could bring more publicity. "I would like to see these papers served to Mr Wilson in a way that doesn't attract media attention."
Councillors Rob Vinsen and Hamish McDouall said there was a level of "political grandstanding" from Mr Stevens and Mr Bullock.
Mr McDouall pointed out the trespass notices could be served by registered mail, and councillors agreed to this action.