Doggy deposits get the bin

The Invercargill City Council has agreed to install a dog poo bin at a city reserve for a trial period in a bid to reduce the amount of dog dung on the ground.

If the trial works, and there is less poo on the ground and more in the bin, the council will install the bins in parks and reserves across the city.

The council’s infrastructure and services committee members yesterday agreed to the trial at Thomson’s Bush until June 30 next year.

A report to the meeting says dog fouling is one of the main areas of complaint to the council and the bins could reduce the amount of dog faeces on the city’s walkways.

The plan is to paint the bins with attractive signage to encourage people to use them, the council report says.

Councillors Carolyn Dean and Ian Pottinger had approached the council’s animal control staff to explore whether its budget could trial a dog poo bin.

The initial costs for the trial will be $2350, which will cover the sign, artwork, plastic bag dispenser and bin and come from the council’s existing animal control budget.

The council’s environmental health manager John Youngson said if the bins were eventually put into parks throughout the city they would be bought in bulk and at discounted prices.

Mr Youngson said other New Zealand cities, including Christchurch, already had dog poo bins and plastic poo bag dispensers in their parks. He was surprised to see how much dog poo was on the ground when he moved to Invercargill.