Sandflat Road harvest delayed and dog walking access reinstated

Dog walking status will remain at the Sandflat Road Forestry Block, following the Central Otago District Council voting to delay the harvest at an extraordinary meeting in Alexandra today. Appropriate signage will be installed to help people manage the safety risks posed by unsafe trees identified in an earlier forestry assessment.

Council revoked two earlier resolutions relating to the block after legal issues were identified. It was clarified at the meeting that Council's duties as a Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) under the Health and Safety at Work Act apply specifically to active worksites. As Sandflat Road is not currently an active worksite, Council's obligation is to use best endeavours to mitigate risk to the public – for example through signage and removal of known problematic trees – rather than to prevent access altogether, which Council currently has no legal ability to do.

Cromwell Dogs Charitable Trust presented during the public session, reiterating their case to retain access and help address safety issues. Council agreed to match funds raised by the Trust, dollar for dollar, up to $10,000, for this work. The Trust has raised $4,000 towards this work so far and gathered more than 1,100 signatures in support of keeping the block open for dog walking.

The future of the Sandflat Road block – including any decisions on harvesting, replanting or alternative uses – will come back to Council for further direction as part of the 2027-37 LTP.

Mayor Tamah Alley says the outcome shows the power of community engagement.

" We don't always get things right the first time, and once the legal position was clarified, it was important that we listened and acted on that advice," she says.

"This is a great example of what happens when a community gets behind an issue and makes its voice heard. I want to acknowledge and appreciate the Trust and everyone in the wider dog-walking community, as well as our own Council staff for the significant amount of work, time, and effort on this issue."

Signage will be installed over the coming weeks and staff will take steps to work with the Trust in addressing the safety issues. In the meantime, people are asked to stay on formed tracks and keep dogs close, particularly around trees flagged as unsafe.