Residents of a remote Otago village say they were left alarmed and intimidated after a pig carcass was found mounted on a pole.
Waipori Falls, a remote community about 60km from Dunedin and governed by a Body Corporate Committee, has been beset by antisocial behaviour and intimidation tactics.
The delivery of a bloody pig carcass is the latest in a string of activities that many of the villagers claim come from a select group that aim to deter others from the village.
Chairperson of the Waipori Falls Body Corporate Committee Pam Murray said the discovery of the carcass was a “highly inappropriate, intimidating, and distressing act that caused significant concern among residents”.
The incident had been reported to the Clutha District Council, as well as police.
“We regard this as a form of harassment that has no place in our village and will not be tolerated. This kind of behaviour is out of step with who we are as a community, and we simply do not need or tolerate such ridiculous and offensive acts.”
She said Waipori Falls Village was a peaceful and beautiful community surrounded by nature.
“Our residents love this little touch of paradise and take great pride in maintaining a caring, respectful, and welcoming environment.”
She said the Body Corporate Committee were co-operating fully with authorities to ensure accountability and to prevent recurrence.
Former resident Michelle Annand, who lived in the village for a decade, said she believed “unsafe and criminal behaviour has been allowed to persist for years without effective enforcement”, and that long-standing offenders “appear to still be terrorising law-abiding citizens” without prosecution.
Current resident, Daniel Williamson, who lives near where the carcass was displayed, said the most disturbing part of the incident was the apparent discharge of a firearm in the village without warning.
He claimed he and his partner had previously been shot at while walking Sutton Salt Lake Middlemarch.
“The male shooter had stood on top of a large boulder and fired two shots in our direction. Unfortunately, he was too far away to identify. An elderly couple were walking towards us and asked who was shooting at us. I said with tensions our way, it was probably us.”
Williamson said a police report was filed but they never heard back.
“Pig guts have been left to rot next to our boundary fence, in sight of our kitchen window. My parents were down to visit us also so at least the council intervened or that would have been a disturbing sight.”
Another resident, Ian Clay, said police seemed “uninterested” in the events.
“A small group in the village wish to dominate and distance the village from normal behaviours. One of the antagonists is a two-time cannabis cultivator who would have a vested interest in police remaining out of the village,” he said.
“Others have undermined the body corp rules and provisions in the Unit Titles Act. These types of acts are designed to intimidate and harass those who stand up against their behaviours, including the town committee.”
Originally established to house workers for a nearby hydroelectric power station, the settlement has about 28 permanent residents.
The Body Corporate Committee is responsible for local infrastructure, including roads, water, and sewage.
Last year, Murray sent a notice to residents warning that someone had been stopping vehicles on “the narrow gorge section” of Waipori Falls Rd and telling them they were “no longer allowed in the village”.
“As the current chairperson of the Body Corporate Committee, I can categorically say that this person is not a member of the committee,” she wrote at the time.
Police have previously confirmed they are aware of “allegations relating to drugs, roadblocks and antisocial behaviour” in the area and are making inquiries.
Murray said residents were extremely grateful to the Clutha District Council for the prompt removal of the carcass.
Despite the growing tensions, Murray said the community’s focus remained on “respect, safety and neighbourly conduct”.
Ben Tomsett is a multimedia journalist based in Dunedin. He joined the Herald in 2023.