Wairarapa Times-Age E-Edition

Dog pound decision

EMILY IRELAND emily.ireland@age.co.nz

After seven years of talks, Carterton District Council [CDC] has decided to forge ahead with its own dog pound plans.

At Wednesday’s full council meeting, councillors voted 5-3 to progress the procurement process for a facility with a budget of $370,000.

Carterton’s current pound did not meet animal welfare requirements and was effectively given a stay of execution by the Ministry for Primary Industries [MPI].

Mayor Greg Lang said the decision on whether CDC should partner with another council or go at it alone had “gone around the room many times”.

“I’m going to be quite blunt. “In 2014, we had these discussions [for a shared facility].

“It’s now seven years later, and every time we come to make a decision, we say we

need to have more discussions.

“It’s a dog pound. We’ve all agreed to spend the money in the Long Term Plan – it’s sitting there to be spent. Let’s just get on with it and make a decision.”

Masterton District Council’s [MDC] and South Wairarapa District Council’s [SWDC] dog pounds also did not meet animal welfare standards. There had been extensive history of

attempting to have a Wairarapa joint facility, but to no avail.

Both councils planned to build their own facilities.

Councillor Dale Williams said the dog pound issue facing CDC was a classic example of a long-term decision being made with short-term uncertainties around the future for local government.

“I guess the elephant in the room is local government reform,” he said.

“Are we committed to investing in further bricks and mortar and infrastructure when the government is working to its own agenda and leaving local government off to one side?

“It’s frustrating to be making these sorts of longterm decisions when our shortto-medium-term future is up in the air.”

He supported CDC building its own facility but was adamant that the project should not go over budget.

Councillor Brian Deller said he had done the maths around the new build and that “it’s a lot of money for us to look after dogs that aren’t being looked after properly by their owners”.

“I did some quick figures on a 50-year lifespan on the building and the amount of dogs we are getting each year, and I came up with a figure of $170 each it will cost us to impound.

“That is for the building cost only. Not depreciation, running costs, or maintenance.

“But I can’t see any way around it.”

In the last financial year, 43 dogs were impounded by CDC.

One was rehomed by the council, six were rehomed by the SPCA, and 35 were returned to their owners.

One was still at the pound at the time the report was done.

Councillor Rob Stockley supported a shared service, “but I also agree that what Masterton is providing does not meet the outcomes that Carterton is pursuing, particularly around levels of service”.

Masterton’s new dog pound would provide a higher level of service than Carterton required, councillors said.

Overall, the capital cost of a shared facility with MDC is estimated to be $513,400, plus $17,366 in operating costs each year.

“Why would we increase our costs beyond what is absolutely

It’s a dog pound. We’ve all agreed to spend the money in the Long Term Plan – it’s sitting there to be spent.

– Carterton Mayor Greg Lang

necessary?” Stockley said.

Councillor Steve Cretney said it would be convenient to partner with a nearby council and pay a fee per dog that needed to be impounded.

Robyn Cherry-campbell, a member of Carterton District Council’s Shared Services Working Group, was “disappointed” Wairarapa’s councils had not reached an agreement for a shared facility.

“Personally, I don’t want to run the risk of our council being prosecuted by MPI.

“They have given us a stay of execution with the facilities we have so far, but delaying further will possibly mean we need to put more money into maintaining or upgrading our existing facility, which is dead money.

“It doesn’t make business sense.

“For our officers’ sake, who have put in a lot of time, I think we need to make a decision, stick with it, and move on.

“We’ve got much bigger fish to fry coming up for us.”

Deputy Mayor Rebecca Vergunst, who chairs the Shared Services Working Group, said negotiations with MDC could have been continued for a better outcome.

“I don’t agree with going at it alone. I still think there are options with Masterton.

“We have not given this negotiation our best, and I think we can do better than this.

“I would propose that we agree to work with Masterton and enter negotiations with them.”

Russell Keys, who was absent from the meeting, said he was in favour of working with MDC to arrange a per dog per night rate.

Councillor Jill Greathead backed Vergunst and said CDC building its own facility was “not a sustainable business plan”.

“I agree with Russell to negotiate a dog per night rate. It could be a useful thing to do. Not only with Masterton, but South Wairarapa, Palmerston, the Hutt.”

The recommendation for CDC to progress with the procurement process for its own animal facility was moved by Cherry-campbell, and seconded by Deller.

Cherry-campbell, Deller, Stockley, Lang, and Williams were in favour.

Greathead, Cretney, and Vergunst were against.

FRONT PAGE

en-nz

2021-10-23T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-10-23T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://times-age.pressreader.com/article/281904481379085

National Media Limited