Dog attacks are a threat to the little blue penguin population in Golden Bay.

Little blue penguins are being slaughtered by dogs on the beaches of Golden Bay, Tasman District councillors have been told.

Mohua Blue Penguin Trust chairwoman Cynthia McConville on Thursday told councillors at a regulatory committee meeting in Murchison that the council's Dog Control Bylaw "doesn't actually control dogs".

"It fails to protect our penguins," McConville said during the public forum section of the meeting, urging an early review of the bylaw. "Dog attacks on kororā must stop."

The council's Dog Control Bylaw was last reviewed in 2014 and is next due for review in 2024. However, there have been several calls to bring that review forward. In August 2019, the Golden Bay Community Board recommended amendments to the bylaw be introduced early in the 2019-22 term of council.

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Cynthia McConville says the existing bylaw fails to protect the little blue penguins and shorebirds in Golden Bay.

​McConville told councillors that during the period of the existing bylaw, 29 little blue penguins had been killed in dog attacks.

"The death of these 29 penguins took place during the nesting season," she said. "For every penguin we lose, we also lose their two chicks. This is because the remaining adult is unable to feed them and will abandon the nest."

McConville also spoke on behalf of the Golden Bay branch of Forest & Bird, saying the Bay had "something very special" in terms of shorebirds.

"The number, the variety and the rarity of these birds is something to behold," she said. "Up to 50,000 shorebirds call Golden Bay home in summer."

Off-leash dogs had harassed, injured and killed shorebirds.

"It's clear that the current dog control bylaw fails to protect our penguins and our shorebirds," McConville said. "We need a new bylaw that prohibits dogs at roosting sites and at nesting sites. We need a bylaw that has lease-control areas to protect feeding birds."

Tony Bateup, of Golden Bay Kayaks at Tata Beach, also pushed for an early review. He wanted the rules loosened at Tata Beach where dogs are prohibited during daylight saving.

"Residents of Tata Beach support Tata Beach being a dog-friendly beach," Bateup said. "There is no need for dogs to be totally excluded from the beach for 24 hours six months of the year."

ANDY JACKSON/STUFF Targeted amendments of the Tasman District Council Dog Control Bylaw will consider if dogs should be allowed on some beaches in the district.

Council regulatory manager Adrian Humphries said the call for dogs to be allowed on Tata Beach was one of four elements of the bylaw put forward for amendment. The other three were a proposed change to the prohibition of dogs on Commercial St in Takaka between 9am and 5pm, changes to where dogs were allowed access at Little Kaiteriteri and a shorebird protection package to prohibit/restrict dogs on some beaches.

Humphries argued against early changes, saying staff did not believe they would achieve better outcomes.

"By changing the bylaw, it will give the veneer that we can do more but it will not actually achieve anything," he said. "The reality is without a huge uplift in enforcement, we're not going to be able to enforce it. We cannot patrol all the beaches in our district."

Under the existing bylaw, if the council was made aware of a wildlife attack by a dog, its owner could be prosecuted.

"More importantly, there are other agencies who have greater powers than us with regard to wildlife conservation, mainly the Department of Conservation," Humphries said.

The councillors agreed to targeted amendments of the bylaw relating to dogs on Commercial St and Tata Beach and delegated power to the Golden Bay Community Board to handle the process up to the adoption of the bylaw. They also agreed to a targeted amendment of the bylaw relating to dogs at Little Kaiteriteri and delegated power to the Motueka Community Board to handle the process up to the adoption of the bylaw.

They noted that staff would continue to work with stakeholders regarding coastal bird protection.

After the meeting, McConville said the resolution was "a decision not to protect Golden Bay's shorebirds and little blue penguins".

She described Humphries as "an advocate for dogs".