AM hosts are torn about a prospective new height restriction for fences in Hawke's Bay, which has drawn the ire of residents.
The Napier City Council released details of the proposal on Wednesday, which proposes new height limitations of as low as 1.2 metres for fences on new residential properties as part of its Proposed District Plan, which is out for consultation.
Its proposed fences could be 1.8m in height for up to 50 percent of the length of the boundary but must be 1.2m for the remainder.
AM hosts discussed the proposal on the show on Thursday, with co-host Laura Tupou asking if you had a big dog "what is a 1.2m high fence going to do" with Ryan Bridge responding "nothing".
"They would gallop right over it, won't they? Children will just hop right over wouldn't they?" he said.
Bridge added it would allow neighbours to have a "good look" in your backyard but Tupou said the proposal is based on safety.
"If you normally back onto a park and you think, 'I'm going to have a really high fence', no, they want you to have something to make it safer through design... so if you're going through an alleyway, you don't want high fences on either side because you don't feel safe. You can't see around the corner to where you're going. You don't want to walk down there," she said.
But Bridge responded saying that's for the person walking down the alleyway, not for the person who owns the home.
"If you own the home, you want the fence because you don't know what low-lives and scumbags are hanging out in the park behind your house," Bridge said.
But Tupou said: "They're not going to do that if they don't feel like they have privacy... they might hide behind your fence because they can hide there because no one's going to see you."
Bridge added he could see why the proposal is "controversial" but believes homeowners should have the final say over the height of their fence.
"It should be up to the homeowner shouldn't it, how high they want their fence. If they feel safer in their home with a higher fence, then let them have a high fence, why are you being so prescriptive," he said.
Feedback was quick to come into AM on the proposal, with mixed reactions.
"We have this rule in our subdivision too, the fencing between us and our neighbours is allowed to be 1.8m because we still need our privacy but I don't disagree with the rules it makes for a much friendlier and open-looking neighbourhood," one person said.
Another person wrote into AM saying, "Leave the fences alone, fix the bloody potholes" while another person said, "Feel safer? The last thing I want is my neighbours steering back at me while nude bathing, 8ft fences at my place thanks".
The proposal also didn't go down well with residents with a council Facebook post about the proposal drawing backlash.
"Get wrecked we don't pay our rates for you to tell us how high OUR fence is," one person said.
"What about those with kids and dogs? Toddlers love climbing," another person added.
A third person said, "With all the opportunistic crime in Hawke's Bay you are joking" while another compared the council to a "dictatorship".
While many people believe the proposals will reduce safety, a spokesperson for the Napier City Council told Hawke's Bay Today it's aimed at doing the opposite.
"People in the street or in neighbouring properties feel safer when others may be able to see them. People looking to undertake criminal or disruptive behaviour are typically more bold when they know their activities are unlikely to be seen by a member of the public," the spokeswoman said.
"Being able to see your neighbours also helps to build connected communities where people are more likely to look out for one another, especially in times of crisis."
Submissions on the proposed District Plan opened on September 21 and will close on December 15.
Watch the moment AM hosts discuss the proposal in the video above.
