Do you want to apply for a permit just to go for a run?

Despite this, the Dunedin City Council’s (DCC) new proposed water bylaw threatens to restrict this access.

The proposed changes include:

• Total access bans: Powder Ridge and Greengauge tracks would be off-limits without a permit, cutting off access to routes between Whare Flat, Pulpit Rock, Jubilee Hut, and Mountain Road.
• Restricted access: Popular routes - including the Swampy Ridge Track, Steve Amies Track, Racemans Track, and Little Coal Creek Track - would be restricted to tramping, hunting, trapping, and fishing. Crucially, the current draft bylaw does not recognise running or day walking as an allowable activity in these zones.
  
  

We urge the Dunedin City Council to recognise the vital importance of keeping these trails open and accessible.

Notably, the bylaw fails to explain why this access is being restricted. These closures do not align with the DCC’s own Three Waters plans, which focus on infrastructure supply issues and do not identify any problems within the catchment area itself. Because there is no evidence of a problem to solve, adding these inefficient and unnecessary permitting processes and restrictions is unwarranted.

Let’s preserve the Silverstream catchment area trails for everyone to enjoy. Please sign and share this petition to show your support for maintaining open access to these invaluable community areas!