A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.
Opinion
Re: New bylaw needed to control stock on highways, May 10 story.
Back in the day, from about 2000 to my retirement in 2012, all stock control costs on state highways in the district were covered by the New Zealand Transport Agency.
Gisborne District Council animal control staff actioned all
stock problems under the Impounding Act on both local roads and state highways; the costs after-hours on state highways were charged back to Opus NZTA agents. This enabled GDC to employ an after-hours, part-time animal control officer on the Coast, based at Te Puia Springs. They were responsible for roaming stock from Potaka to Tokomaru Bay; all other areas were covered by on-duty officers, Tolaga Bay west to Waioeka and south to Whareratas.
The other alternative was for NZTA to employ its own stock control person. This did not make sense as GDC had the resources (stock truck, horse float, stock pounds, know how etc).
What has changed?
