Local Government Law Reform Bill (No 2)
and Supplementary Order Paper No 79

The Local Government and Environment Committee is inviting public submissions on the Local Government Law Reform Bill (No 2) and Supplementary Order Paper No 79. The closing date for submissions is 20 June 2003.

In February 2003, following a spate of serious dog attacks around the country and the public concern that resulted, the Minister of Local Government announced the Government’s intention to conduct an urgent review of the Dog Control Act 1996. In determining amendments that could be made to the Act, the Department of Internal Affairs surveyed all city and district councils on their views on the Act. Information about the administration of dog control generally was also sought.

The Local Government Law Reform Bill (No 2) was seen as a potentially useful vehicle for quickly advancing the review. The bill had not progressed through Parliament since being reported to the House by the Internal Affairs and Local Government Committee in 1999. As it stands, the bill is concerned primarily with the phased elimination of American Pit Bull Terriers. However, on 18 February 2003 Parliament referred the bill to the Local Government and Environment Committee, and gave the committee the power to propose any amendments relating to the care and control of dogs generally.

Hon Chris Carter, the Minister for Local Government, has recently released Supplementary Order Paper No 79, which contains a number of proposed amendments to the Dog Control Act. The committee will consider the proposals in the supplementary order paper in conjunction with the bill. Therefore submissions are invited to comment on both the bill and the supplementary order paper.

Copies of the bill and the supplementary order paper can be purchased from Bennetts Government Bookshops. An electronic version of the supplementary order paper is also available from the Department of Internal Affairs web site at www.dia.govt.nz, as is an electronic copy of the Dog Control Act 1996.

The committee requires 25 copies of each submission. Those wishing to include any information of a private or personal nature in a submission should first discuss this with the clerk of the committee, as submissions are usually released to the public by the committee. Those wishing to appear before the committee to speak to their submissions should state this clearly and provide a daytime telephone contact number. For further guidance on making a submission, our publication Making a Submission to a Parliamentary Select Committee can be found on our web site at www.clerk.parliament.govt.nz.

Submissions should be addressed as follows:

Marie Alexander
Local Government and Environment Committee
Parliament House
WELLINGTON

Contact for further details:

Marie Alexander on ( (04) 4719525 or
Email : marie.alexander@parliament.govt.nz