A groundswell of public opposition to tougher dog control rules has been taken on board by the Queenstown Lakes District Council.
Changes to the district's new draft dog control bylaw and policy - as a result of objections raised during public consultation - will be considered by the council at its meeting today.
The principal issue discussed at a hearing in July and in the 98 submissions received on the draft document related to the areas where dogs were permitted on and off leads across the district.
Most submissions said the bylaw was too restrictive in its proposal to only allow dogs off leads in public areas within the rural general zone.
They were particularly concerned about the need to have dogs on leads on tracks and reserves.
Based on the feedback received, the hearing panel - comprising councillors Calum MacLeod, Merv Aoke and Lex Perkins - concluded dogs should be allowed off leads on council-controlled tracks and reserves so owners could have readily available places to freely walk and exercise their dogs, particularly in urban areas.
QLDC regulatory manager Lee Webster said in making the amendment, the panel had weighed up where the 46 dog attacks reported to the council in the past financial year had occurred.
''The vast majority of those are from roaming dogs which are predominantly in an urban or residential area,'' Mr Webster said.
Just six of the dog attacks, either on people or stock or other domestic animals, were on council-controlled tracks or reserves.
The panel made three exceptions to the amended proposal - the Queenstown Gardens, the main Queenstown beach between the gardens and Earnslaw Park, and Queenstown Hill walkway.
Dogs would need to be on a lead in those areas to help reduce the likelihood of nuisance to the public and neighbouring landowners.
The gardens and beach were considered high-use areas, while Queenstown Hill had a history of dogs off leads worrying stock, Mr Webster's report to the council said.
A submission to prohibit dogs from Arrowtown's Buckingham St was supported by the panel because it was a ''high tourism area with very narrow streets''.
The panel considered even dogs on leashes could frighten or cause nuisance and were therefore not appropriate in Buckingham St.
The bylaw was also amended to allow working dogs to be off leads in restricted areas while undertaking their duties - such as search and rescue work or training.
If the dog control bylaw and policy are approved by the council today, the bylaw will come into force from next week.
