Charges laid over starving cattle

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One person has been charged, nine months after 40 starving cattle had to be destroyed at Lake Brunner Station on the West Coast.

The Ministry for Primary Industries (formerly the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry) said yesterday "an individual" was facing various charges under the Animal Welfare Act 1999.

The matter will be heard in a Greymouth court on June 5.

The entire farm was cleared of animals after MAF received reports of severe livestock neglect.

Six carcasses were found in a creek and other cattle had apparently died in the paddocks.

The dry stock and dairy grazing property held a total of about 1000 head of stock at the time.

Lake Brunner Station was part-owned by the $110 million Turner family, which owns the Sleepyhead bed brand. The farm was leased to another party.

Peter Turner, one of the three Turner brothers, said at the time he was unaware of any animal neglect issues on the farm.

MAF said last August that 30-40 animals had been put down because they were too sick to be transported off the farm.

It acted after a tip-off to its toll-free animal welfare phone line.