Hackles up over dog-law `review'

It's a review, not an inquiry, and it definitely won't be a witch-hunt - Whangarei District Council's review of its dog policy is still getting hackles up.
The council has set up a team of councillors Frank Newman, Crichton Christie and Sue Glenn, with independent member and former coroner Max Atkins, to look at its dog-control policies and bylaws.
The review came after complaints to the council over the way dog-control policies were being implemented. Submissions on the review close on June 29.
Some people who had lodged complaints were in the public gallery at the council's environmental services committee meeting last Thursday. At the meeting Cr Robin Lieffering expressed concern advertisements for the review carried personal contact details for the councillors involved rather than council staff numbers.
Cr Christie said that was because the review team wanted to be seen as independent from council staff and some submitters would rather give their concerns through the team rather than staff.
As well, some wanted to give confidential submissions.
But that raised the ire of Cr Lieffering, who declared it a "shoddy vote of confidence in the council staff". "I find that's absolutely unacceptable. We run a council, not a sob shop. I hope this does not turn into a witch-hunt of our staff," she said. "I'm not at all impressed with a lot of the (concerns raised over dog management). It's emotional and has little to do with fact. I have a great deal of respect for those staff."
Cr Christie said the purpose of the review was not a witch-hunt and the team's report would have nothing to do with disciplining staff. The review was to look at the council's dog-control systems and find out if they could be improved.
Cr Glenn said it was the right of each submitter to choose how he or she made comments to the review team and a report on the issue would go to the full council for consideration. "We will just report the findings then it's up to the full council to decide what happens from there," Cr Glenn said.
There is no date yet for the review team's report to be completed. The review comes as the council is reviewing its dog-control policy, which includes the possibility of banning dogs from the district's beaches all year round.
Cr Shelley Deeming agreed it was a review of the council's dog policies, not an inquiry.
Cr Christie said the review would cost up to $5000.