Auckland Council Decisions

New Property Maintenance and Nuisance Bylaw, Alcohol Bans and Building Inspection fees go in front of committee

Auckland Council committee members met today to receive a proposal on a new Property Maintenance and Nuisance Bylaw. A review of alcohol bans of regional significance was discussed along with proposed signage guidelines for all alcohol bans region-wide and a same day cancellation fee for Building Inspections. The following is a digest of decisions made.

The agenda is available on Auckland Council’s website and minutes will be added once confirmed.

Items 1-8 are administrative items, and there was no extraordinary business.

Item 9: Alcohol Ban Signage Guidelines

Councillors were presented with guidelines for alcohol ban signage to be used across the region as part of the implementation of the Auckland Council Alcohol Control Bylaw 2014. The signage guidelines will provide clarity and consistency for signs across the region’s roads, parks, reserves and beaches. The purpose of alcohol ban signage is to effectively inform the public when they are entering or when they are in an alcohol ban area, and allows for enforcement of alcohol bans by the Police.

Discussion was had regarding the inclusion of Te Reo on multi-purpose council signage, as well as the key practicalities of signage. Policy staff will report back to the committee on some potential changes to the guidelines.

Item 10: Review of Alcohol Bans 2015

Following the update on Alcohol Ban Signage, the committee was asked to adopt a proposal on the review of 17 existing alcohol bans of regional significance. The 17 areas of regional significance that fall under the delegation of the Regulatory and Bylaws Committee are 14 Maunga, the Auckland Domain (two bans) and Auckland Zoo (carpark area).

The review process requires alcohol-related proof of crime and dis-order in the existing alcohol bans and council has some police data from the last 12 months however it was recommended that community input should be sought to gain further evidence to keep the bans. The committee agreed to seek public feedback through a consultation process asking residents to provide incidents of alcohol-related crime or disorder they have witnessed in the 17 alcohol ban areas of regional significance. Public submissions will open 17 June.

Item 11: Introduction of a new property maintenance and nuisance bylaw

The committee received a report on the draft Property Maintenance & Nuisance Bylaw. An aspect of the proposed bylaw will deal with nuisance issues on private property – this generates the second highest number of complaints per year to Auckland Council.

The draft bylaw will deal with the failure to maintain private property in a way that causes nuisance or a risk to public health. It seeks to address issues like overgrown sections that may harbour pests or vermin, derelict or abandoned buildings, feeding wild birds or feral animals, and large amounts of debris or refuse on a property. The committee discussed how this would be enforced and in practice any complaint about property maintenance or nuisance will involve a site visit by a Bylaw Enforcement Officer. They will identify the best course of action, seek voluntary compliance and give a timeframe to rectify the situation. If sufficient progress is not made, enforcement will be carried out. It is important to note that the bylaw does not address amenity.

The proposed bylaw will also address the regulation of industrial water cooling tower systems – registration and maintenance to prevent legionnaire’s disease – and the nuisance of artificial lighting in residential areas. The issue of artificial lighting glare is recommended for the Auckland Central area until the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan is in effect.

It was agreed that the proposed bylaw will go to Governing Body to approve for public consultation.

Item 12: Building Inspection same day cancellation fee

The committee were asked to approve the charging of building inspections which are cancelled by the customer on the day of the inspection in order to drive changes in industry behaviour. This includes block booking inspections. The proposal, discussed extensively with industry representatives including Master Builders and Certified Builders, has been met with strong support as it will enable council to provide inspections within 48 hours of request from well organised customers. The committee approved the same day cancellation fee of $135.

Ends

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