Kororā (little blue penguins) pictured in October 2021, visibly distressed by the then recently-upgraded seawall at Eastland Port. Photo: Liam Clayton / Gisborne Herald
A popular Tairāwhiti beach will no longer be accessible to dog walkers as the district council looks to protect nesting kororā (little blue penguins).
Gisborne district councillors last week debated a proposal in a council report that includes eight changes to the current dog control policy and bylaw, moving that the recommendations be put out for public consultation early next year.
Of the proposed changes, prohibiting dogs from Kaiti Beach garnered the most attention.
As it stands, owners can walk their dogs on a leash at the beach, with an off-leash exemption between 6am and 7am, excluding school and public holidays.
Despite the area being one of the city's most popular dog walking spots, ecological factors are at play - the surrounding dunes are well-established nesting sites for native kororā.
Gisborne's Kaiti Beach is a popular spot for locals, but walking your dog there could soon be a thing of the past. Photo: Liam Clayton / Gisborne Herald
The Department of Conservation has found a "significant number" of deceased kororā on the beach with post-mortem analyses revealing at least three were killed by dogs, the council report said.
Weighing about one kilogram and measuring just over 25 centimetres in height, the kororā are classified as the world's smallest penguin.
They are at risk and declining, particularly where the population has not been protected by predators, DoC says.
In October 2021, kororā made headlines in Gisborne after concerned residents reported seeing one of the birds crossing a busy road, potentially thrown off by a recently upgraded seawall at Eastland Port.
A June 2022 report by penguin expert Professor John Cochrane (a senior practising veterinarian at Massey University) estimated up to 70 kororā nests were lost during the construction of the Waikahua seawall and the birds' significance at the site was overlooked throughout the resource consent process.
Dogs pictured walking at Kaiti Beach off-leash. The Gisborne District Council is proposing to ban canines at the site in a bid to protect kororā. Photo: Dave Thomas / Gisborne Herald
Not all councillors were convinced the Gisborne breeding grounds needed further protection, however.
Larry Foster said although most owners didn't stick to leash requirements, he had a "real problem" with prohibiting dogs from Kaiti Beach.
"I'd say more people in Gisborne take their dogs to Kaiti Beach than any other beach in Gisborne," he said.
"Dogs with the wildlife isn't an issue. I'm walking past oyster catchers, blue herons, kingfishers ... every darn seagull in the world lives there."
Tony Robinson asked if a compromise could be reached through a leash requirement staying in place at the western end of the beach, near the penguins.
He had never seen any issues, he said.
But Aubrey Ria brought the focus back to the findings, saying although councillors may not have personally seen dogs attacking wildlife, it didn't mean that it didn't happen.
She also pointed out mana whenua, Ngāti Oneone, was in full support of the ban.
"They (kororā) are definitely there. They are at high risk in terms of our biodiversity. They are a high-risk animal close to being endangered."
Debbie Gregory said she had personally seen a dog with a penguin in its mouth at Kaiti Beach, and supported the ban.
Nick Tupara said native biodiversity needed to be of foremost concern and that the issue of finding places to run dogs was a separate conversation.
"The conversation should be how can we protect the most vulnerable in your community, both animals and human," he said.
According to the report presented to council, the existing dog control policy prohibits dogs in 39 areas across Gisborne.
Tairāwhiti has a high rate of dog ownership - 6145 dog owners and 11,402 dogs.
As of November 2022, 94 percent of those animals were registered.
Across the region, there was a ratio of about one dog for every 4.5 people. The national average was one dog for every nine people.
In the Opotiki and Wairoa districts, it was one dog for every two people.
Reports of aggressive dogs had reduced in Tairāwhiti over the last 10 years and the number of incidents of non-compliant dogs and dog owners had also declined over the decade.
Consultation is scheduled for 25 January to 1 March, 2023.
The dog control policy is a requirement of all territorial authorities under the Dog Control Act 1996.
Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air