Ask Phoebe: Paved path needed to replace muddy track

Victoria Park in Auckland City. Photo / Dean Purcell

Council looking at how to formalise watery route to Victoria Park.

As a daily user of Victoria Park I would like to know if the Council Parks and Reserves department would consider laying a proper paved path that leads from the bus stops on Fanshawe St to the main path that goes around the park. There is a muddy, water-logged track that has been created by the many commuters and walkers and runners who use this cut-through from the bus stop to meet the main path.

Lisa Simpson, Freemans Bay.

Auckland Council is aware of this well-used informal route and parks officers are investigating how best to formalise the track, while taking account of other current and proposed improvements in the area. Once a design has been finalised and approved by the local board it will be incorporated into the council's schedule of work.

In the meantime, the route will be monitored by a park ranger and topped up with mulch as needed.

Is it within your brief to confirm hours that dogs are allowed on Takapuna Beach? We were there recently and the sign said dogs prohibited from 9am to 6.30pm (not sure about end time). However, within the council's policy document on dogs on their website it states that dogs are allowed from 6.30pm to 10am. I refer to page 14 of 33 of the document, as below.

Devonport - Takapuna Local Board Area

(1) Dogs are allowed under control off a leash on all park, beach or foreshore areas not specifically identified as prohibited or under control on a leash area.

(2) On beaches in the former North Shore City: (a) Dogs are allowed under control off a leash on St Leonards beach (Takapuna) and J.F. Kennedy Park beach (below the cliffs) (Castor Bay) at all times.

(b) On all other beaches, dogs are allowed under control off a leash from 6.30pm to 10am during daylight saving, and are allowed under control off a leash at all times outside of daylight saving.

(c) Dogs are prohibited on the beach and all parts of a park within 20m of the beach from 10am to 6.30pm during daylight saving.

There appears to be confusing and contradictory information. Rodney Hughes, Takapuna.

A close inspection of the bylaw suggests (to me at least) that the signs do not allow for daylight saving.

Martin van Jaarsveld, manager of local and sports parks north for Auckland Council, says that dog access bylaws on local beaches in the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board area are the same as they were under North Shore City Council. These are as Mr Hughes pointed out, and are included in the Auckland Council Policy on Dogs adopted in late 2012.

The council had replaced several damaged signs on Takapuna Beach but unfortunately some of the replacement signs had incorrect information. The council thanks Mr Hughes for bringing this to their attention. These signs will be replaced with the correct ones.