LGOIMA Requests

Date received: 31/01/2025

Requested information: Information about any Publicly notified resolutions regarding 194 Rangitikei Valley Road.

Status: Complete

Response:

With regard to your official information request as above. 

To date Manawatu District Council have not invoked any provisions of the Impounding Act 1955 at this location. 

The licence Manawatu District Council has entered into is a licence to occupy local purpose reserve authorised by Section 74(2)(a) Reserves Act 1977. All and any of the provisions of the Reserves Act 1977 applicable to licences to occupy local purpose reserve which are not referred to in [that] Licence shall in every respect apply to [that] Licence, and the parties to it as if those provisions had been fully set out in [that] Licence.

Date received: 21/01/2025

Requested information: Terms of current lease for 194 Rangitikei Valley Road.

Status: Complete

Response:

Date received: 10/01/2025

Requested information: Request a copy of complaint about woodshed on our property and documentation showing compliance

Status: Complete

Response:

Date received: 05/01/2025

Requested information: Information about housing needs and developments in Manawatu District Council area

Status: Complete

Response:

The information you have requested is below.

1. Data on local housing demand, including any assessments of homelessness or housing shortages in the area.

The data Manawatu District Council (MDC) refers to for expected demand for housing is from Infometrics. The most recent consideration of capacity for supply of housing formed part of a MDC District Plan Focus Group workshop in October 2024 which included the following data (note the abbreviation NPS-UD refers National Policy Standard on Urban Development): 

Manawatū District Council is required to publish a NPS-UD Quarterly Monitoring Report which may include information you are seeking.  The latest report published is September 2024 linked here: Urban Development Manawatu District Council

We do not have data on homelessness per se, however the Quarterly Monitoring report attached contains information regarding the Manawatū Community Trust and Kaianga Ora housing registers.  

2. Updates on regional housing development plans and initiatives aimed at addressing housing affordability.  

Manawatū District Council focuses on affordable housing for the elderly and disabled through Manawatū Community Trust. The Trust currently holds 205 units with a goal to grow this to 250 units for the Elderly and Disabled by 2030. Further detail regarding Manawatū Community Trust including the Statement of Intent and accountability reporting can be found on the Council website linked here: Council Organisations | Manawatū District Council. Further information on the Trust is available on their website: https://manawatucommunitytrust.nz/ 

A deep dive into affordable and social housing was provided to the MDC Community Development and Economic Development Focus groups in June 2023.  This provided updates on the priorities and actions in the MDC Housing Strategic Action Plan adopted in November 2021. Housing affordability is part of this plan. The deep dive report is in this link -  Housing_data_for_CDED_Focus_Group_June_2023.zip 

3. Insights into local partnerships or programs to address housing challenges.     

Partnership with Manawatū Community Trust for affordable housing for the elderly and disabled is detailed in 2. Above.

Manawatū District Council is engaging with interested parties and the community on a draft Growth Strategy to plan for future housing needs and challenges.  The summary for feedback is linked here: Growth Strategy Summary for Feedback 002 FINAL for engagement 

Date received: 20/12/2024

Requested information: Information about any communications relating to the need for secrecy for the Wilson Road storage facility

Status: Complete

Response:

Date received: 20/12/2024

Requested information: Information about cat management within Manawatu District Council area

Status: Complete

Response:

Please find the answers to your questions below.

1. How long has your Council had either a Cat Management bylaw or included Cat Management in their Animal Management bylaw?

The Manawatū District Council has no specific bylaw dedicated to cats but has included cats as part of its Animal Bylaw (the bylaw) since at least 2014.  A copy of the current bylaw can be found here:  Animal-Bylaw-amendments-22-Sep-22.pdf.  Part three of the bylaw references cats and can be found on page 7.

2. How many complaints about cats has your Council received under your Cat/Animal Management bylaw per year for each year they have had a bylaw?

Yearly reporting from Manawatū District Council electronic database records show the following:

1. In 2013 the Manawatū District Council recorded no complaints about cats.
2. In 2014 the Manawatū District Council recoded two complaints about cats, and five requests / inquiries for the supply of a cat cages to hold feral cats.
3. In 2015 the Manawatū District Council recorded three complaints about the number of cats kept on properties, and two requests for a cat cage to hold feral cats.
4. In 2016 no complaints were recorded.
5. In 2017 no complaints were recorded.
6. In 2018 no complaints were recorded.
7. In 2019 the Manawatū District Council had three complaints about cats (one about the number of cats on a property and two concerning stray cats).
8. In 2020 no complaints were recorded.
9. In 2021 no complaints were recorded.
10. In 2022 no complaints were recorded.
11. In 2023, one complaint was received about cats upsetting a person's dog, and one complaint relating to cats entering a person's house.

Note that 2014 and 2019 were years when the bylaw was being reviewed.

3. What have been the outcomes of the complaints received so far?

The outcomes from complaints received about cats have been:

1. Complaints about property owners keeping more than the permitted number of cats (i.e. four) on a property saw letters and/or advice sent to owners, no prosecution action was taken.  There appears to be no record of further complaints from the complainants.
2. One complaint was received about a neighbour's cats and their welfare. The complainant was referred to the SPCA and advice also provided to the cat owner.
3. Complaints about stray cats whose origin and ownership were not able to be established saw complainants referred to the SPCA.  No prosecution action was taken.
4. Prior to late 2014, requests for a cat cage saw the complainants referred to a vet. Subsequent requests have resulted in the offer of traps and cages for hire.
3. How are the Council managing complaints about cats in breach of the bylaw?
1. What are the cat management processes and potential outcomes?
2. How are the Council planning to manage cats that may have to be seized?

Current complaint processes relating to cats see complainants either being referred to animal control staff for further investigation or, where appropriate, customer services staff (who can provide advice on matters such as how stray cats on a property could be managed). The Manawatū District Council also hires out cat traps and cages to allow property owners to trap feral cats (and has a cat trap hire agreement form and fee for this purpose). 

If, in the opinion of an Enforcement Officer, the keeping of any cats on a premises is, or is likely to become a nuisance they may do all or any of the following: (a) reduce the number of cats kept on the premises; (b) take other such precautions as may be considered necessary by the Council Officer to reduce the nuisance effects.

The Manawatū District Council tends not to seize cats but seeks the cooperation of owners (if known).

5. Have the Council had to employ extra animal control staff with the addition of cat management to your bylaws?

The Manawatū District Council has not employed additional staff to enforce the bylaw. 

6. How many prosecutions have been taken against cat owners?

No prosecution actions have been taken against cat owners to date. 

7. How many prosecutions do the Council envisage they will undertake in the next 12month? Five years?

No prosecutions of cat owners are envisaged within the next 12 months or five years.

8. Are the Council keeping a cat register? If not, how are they tracking cat registrations, microchipping and desexing?

The Manawatū District Council does not keep a register of cats. There are also no specific bylaws or District Plan rules which require the microchipping of cats, but council staff may suggest microchipping to owners as a way of quickly identifying owners of lost cats when they are found. However,

Every person who keeps cats is required to de-sex them if they are over six months old unless they are registered with a nationally recognised cat breeders' body. The transient nature of cat movements, and the number of stray cats / cats not carrying any other identification, makes checking of microchipping and de-sexing enforcement difficult.

9. Is the Companion Animal Register sharing information with the Council about cats registered in the area?

The Manawatū District Council does not have an information sharing arrangement with the Companion Animal Register. 

Date received: 16/12/2024

Requested information: Details of the removal and disposal of Almadale footbridge

Status: Complete

Response:

Date received: 13/12/2024

Requested information: Details of Council committee structure, accountability and remuneration.

Status: Complete

Response:

Date received: 13/12/2024

Requested information: Request for dates from Council of Citizenship Ceremony from December 2024 to December 2025

Status: Complete

Response:

The Manawatu District Council held a Citizenship Ceremony on 5 December 2024 and has planned for the following dates in 2025.

6 March 2025

15 May 2025

21 August 2025

20 November 2025

Date received: 10/12/2024

Requested information: Number of complaints regarding an individual over the last 10 years.

Status: Complete

Response: