Information for the Citizens Initiated Referendum on disciplining children began appearing in Dunedin letterboxes today.

The referendum came about after a lobby group presented a petition to government, and is to cost the taxpayer $9,000,000

Dunedin Barnardos Child Advocate Sue Bain says the question is terrible, and she doesn't believe smacking is part of good parenting, as the question suggests.

Bain says there are many other ways of disciplining children, from time out, to keeping rules and consequences simple.