Bylaws are local laws made under national legislation by Council in response to local circumstances and needs. The main purpose of bylaws is to manage nuisances, offensive behaviour and to support public safety in the community.

Bylaws are generally made under the Local Government Act 2002. Bylaws are broadly made to cover one or more of the following purposes:

• to protect the public from nuisance,
• to protect, promote, and maintain public health and safety and,
• to minimise the potential for offensive behaviour in public places.

Some other Acts also empower local authorities to make bylaws on specific topics, e.g. the Waste Minimisation Act 2008.

We are required to review our bylaws every five years after they were first made and then every ten years after that to ensure that they are fit for purpose and meet the needs of the community and Council.

A nuisance is a person, thing, or circumstance that bothers, annoys or causes distress to others, or causes unreasonable interference, making it harder for people to enjoy their surroundings.

In the context of these Bylaws the term 'nuisance' includes but is not limited to:

1. danger to life
2. danger to public health
3. damage to property
4. long or short term adverse effects on the environment.

Bylaws help keep our community safe and enjoyable by managing noise, waste, and behavior. They ensure everyone follows the same rules, making Matamata-Piako a great place to live and visit.

The purpose of this Bylaw is to enable the Council to control and set standards for the operation of public places like parks, libraries, pools, and cemeteries to ensure they are safe and enjoyable for everyone.

This Bylaw sets rules to keep public spaces safe and minimise nuisances and anti-social behaviour.

Bylaws can affect businesses by setting rules for things like signage, outdoor dining, and trading in public places. We encourage businesses to participate in the consultation to ensure their needs are understood and considered.

We usually start with advice and education. The appropriate action will depend on the issue, but we may issue warnings, seize property, impose fines (e.g. for illegal dumping), or prosecute.

If we didn’t have bylaws, there would be no clear rules for the community to help guide behaviour and set standards for how we live, work and play in Matamata-Piako. Without bylaws, our district could face many problems that threaten public health and safety, and it would be harder to keep our community safe, clean and peaceful.

Share your thoughts through our website, email, or at Council offices. Look out for community engagement events happening in September/October. You can sign up for email updates here to keep informed of progress.

Both Bylaws aim to make public spaces safe and enjoyable. We want your input on how to improve these spaces and so it made sense to get feedback on both at the same time.

All feedback will be reviewed and discussed with Councillors and work on drafting the new bylaws will begin. The draft bylaws will come back to the community for feedback in March/April 2025.