Full Breakdown
Dog Trainer Seeks Return to Donovan Park After Council Ban
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Council Blocks Dog-Training Sessions
Mandy Wood, a dog trainer who has used Donovan Park in Te Puke for almost eight years, was told by Western Bay of Plenty District Council in July that any further training sessions would incur a fine. Wood had run paid classes and free sessions through Hungry Dogs of Te Puke, keeping dogs on-lead and away from the disc-golf area. After the warning she halted her activities at the park and relocated to Gordon Spratt Reserve in Papamoa. A petition launched by her client Jake Johnson gathered more than 570 signatures urging the council to allow her to resume training at Donovan Park.
Background & Context: Shared Use with Disc Golf
The Tauranga Disc Golf Association (TDGA) established a nine-hole disc-golf course in Donovan Park in September of the previous year. TDGA treasurer Ryan Alderton said the association had co-existed peacefully with Wood’s dog-training sessions and had never lodged a complaint. Both groups have used separate areas of the reserve without prior incidents.
Official Statements & Responses
Peter Watson, the council’s reserves and facilities manager, explained that under the Reserves Act any commercial activity on reserve land requires a formal concession. He said the council is working with Wood to secure the necessary public liability insurance and to set clear timetables that will allow disc-golf players and dog trainers to share the space fairly. Ryan Alderton reiterated the TDGA’s willingness to continue sharing the park if Wood obtains council permission.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We are more than happy to continue sharing the space with Mandy if she is successful in gaining permission from the council to keep on training dogs at Donovan Park.” — Ryan Alderton
- “Formalising the activity through a concession will also provide certainty around operating times, enabling other reserve users, including disc golf participants, to better plan their use of the park.” — Peter Watson, facilities manager
What’s Next: Concession Process and Potential Re-opening
Wood must apply for a concession to operate her commercial business on council land and obtain public liability insurance. If the concession is approved, the council will publicise her business as legitimate and publish guidelines for operating times, aiming to minimise conflicts and support the fair sharing of Donovan Park.