Summer bird protection at Matapōuri

Published on 24 September 2025

Changes made to Whangārei’s Dog Control Bylaw last year will help protect endangered birds in the Matapōuri area this breeding season. 

The new bylaw enables us to bring in temporary dog restrictions at specific locations, without changing an area’s usual dog-access rules for the rest of the year. 

Dotterels (tūturiwhatu) and oystercatchers (tōrea) both breed at the southern end of Matapōuri during the summer. 

For the duration of the breeding season (until 31 March 2026), dogs must now be on a leash on both sides of the estuary, including at the southern tip of Matapōuri Bay. 

The usual summer daytime ban will continue to apply from 20 December to 31 January, between 9:00am and 5:00pm. 

Bylaws Strategic Planner Will McNab said the change to the bylaw was designed to make it easier for us to address situations that were not anticipated when the dog rules were adopted for a five-year period.