Long Term Community Plan 2012-2022 - Hurunui District Council

www.hurunui.govt.nz
Service
Relevant
Community
Outcomes
Relevant Issues &
Constraints
Who benefits, and
over what period
Future Funding & Sustainability
Environment and
Safety – Animal
Control
The Council’s funding
Animal Control services
contributes to the
Hurunui district being:
A desirable and safe
place to live:
- We have attractive
well designed
townships
- Communities have
access to adequate
health and emergency
services and systems
and resources are
available to meet civil
defence emergencies
A place that
d e m o n s t r a t e s
e n v i r o n m e n t a l
responsibility:
- We protect our
environment while
preserving people’s
property rights
- We minimise
solid waste to the
fullest extent, and
manage the rest in a
sustainable way
Those who use the
service benefit more
than those who do
not, hence, for reasons
of transparency and
accountability, there is
justification for funding
it distinctly from
other services. There
are no significant
costs involved in
this distinction. Dog
registration cost issues
and recovery of costs
associated with dog
control are set out in
the Dog Control Act.
Dog owners question
what benefit they
derive from the
- Risks to public
health are identified
and appropriately registration
managed
process.
Do the majority
of owners pay for
the minority who
are negligent in
their ownership
responsibilities? While
this is a valid question,
it is impractical to
amend the system as
to do so would cost
more than any gain
that would be derived.
Dog and animal
control legislation
is clearly based on a
mix of the principle
that the owner should
pay for animal control
“incidents” with the
establishment of the
service being a public
good.
100% benefit to animal
owners for incidents
and 100% benefit to
the District as a whole
for service readiness.
This latter benefit will
relate to the area of
land owned (the more
land, the more scope
for wandering stock),
and thus for all practical
purposes may be tied
to its Capital Value.
100% benefit to
the dog owner for
incidents; 100% dog
registration fee for
readiness.
No significant capital
expenditure is involved
with this service.
All operational
expenditure is applied
to the pro- vision of
service in the year it is
collected.
Dog Registration:
Process and standby (including record keeping) are funded by
the dog registration fee.
The owner pays with the shortfall (eg: complaint unfounded,
dog gone, etc), funded by dog registration fees.
Stock Control:
Costs relating to animal or stock control are paid 100% from
stock owners; the balance of remaining costs to be met from
the District Rate.
Sustainability:
The negative impact of the cost of this service is offset by the
social wellbeing through having a safe and healthy communities.
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