Ongoing inaction over wild cattle on Whangārei road will lead to deaths, say motorists

Troy Johnson, who collided with a wild cattle beast on Whangārei Heads Rd is concerned someone will be killed before the problem is resolved.

A father of five was without his car for Christmas after a night-time collision with a wild cattle beast on Whangārei Heads Rd.

Troy Johnson, 39, and a mate were returning from a fishing trip at about 2am on December 12 when they struck a “massive black cow” on a 60km/h per hour stretch of road near Tayden Court, Waikaraka.

“It was on the road and I didn’t see it until it was on my bonnet,” Johnson said.

“I’m just lucky, if I hadn’t swerved it was coming through my windscreen.”

The impact of the huge animal smashed the driver-side pillar and windscreen of his car, leaving it “pretty much written off”, he said.

Johnson had only had the Holden Clubsport car, worth $30,000, for eight weeks and had not finalised insuring it.

“It’s a bit of a shame about the car, but to be honest I’m not concerned about the car, well, I am - I’d love my car fixed but I’m worried for others someone will die.”

Johnson posted a photo of his damaged vehicle to social media as a warning for other motorists, and vowed to take on the cattle problem.

“I’m going all the way and making sure that they’re gone ‘cos I know for a fact that if something ain’t done someone will die.”

The hazard had been ongoing for years and while many Whangārei locals were alert to it, the glut of summer visitors would not be, Johnson said.

Numerous motorists are concerned about the risk wild cattle pose when they roam onto Whangārei Heads Rd at night. Troy Johnson collided with a cattle beast earlier this week on this notoriously dangerous section of road through Waikaraka.

Johnson questioned the usefulness of Wandering Stock signs put up about two months ago at Waikaraka by the district council.

“What good do these signs do? Bugger all at two in the morning; I learnt that the hard way.”

He also noted there was no street lighting in the area.

Responding to Johnson’s post another motorist, Panupun Bendall, said he narrowly missed hitting cattle himself at about 9.45pm one Saturday.

He was so concerned about the hazard, he did a U-turn and positioned his vehicle with its hazard lights on in the middle of the road as a warning. Even so, the next car to come along also only narrowly missed hitting the cattle, Johnson said.

He agreed with Johnson something needed to be done and urgently.

“I keep seeing numerous reports of these cows, and nothing’s being legitimately sorted, I’d like to hope that the supposed owners would step up or take into account that this type of sh** could take a life or few."

The Northern Advocate understands there are as many as 100 wild cattle in the area, in separate mobs led by bulls each weighing about a tonne.

Local authorities have been alerted to the risk by numerous people over the years, including by Waikaraka local Peter Scott who shared his concerns in the Northern Advocate earlier this year.

However, the district council and Northland Regional Council (NRC) each claimed they lacked jurisdiction to intervene because of the question over the cattle’s ownership and private property rights.

Residents said local authorities told them the problem was theirs to solve through better fencing or a consensus decision to call in contract hunters.

Johnson believed that was a cop-out by authorities.

“Those cattle are a wicked hazard. I’m just mind-boggled about it and there’s no holding anyone accountable, but someone’s accountable.”

He had returned to Waikaraka the following day, trying unsuccessfully to find the cattle beast he hit. He had hoped it might have been ear-tagged so he could identify the owner responsible for it roaming.

Johnson claimed that locals he spoke to initially told him no one owned the cattle but some changed their minds when he talked about having them killed.

Stock image of a cow, cattle. Photo / Lucy Penellum

Johnson believed anyone who claimed ownership of the cattle should be held responsible for the risk they pose.

He questioned why relevant laws such as the Fencing Act 1978, the Animals Law Reform Act 1989, the Impoundment Act 1955 and Crimes Act 1961 were not being enforced.

According to Northland Regional Council’s biosecurity and biodiversity working party chairman Jack Craw, the Whangārei District Council (WDC) has the legal mandate to control the cattle under the Impounding Act - not NRC.

He said his council planned to again take the matter up with the district council as it was their responsibility to ensure the roads are safe.

WDC Health and Bylaws manager Reiner Mussle said no clear powers regarding the risk associated with wandering stock sat with any one agency.

“Our primary responsibility is when the cattle get onto a public road and become a potential safety hazard.”

When that happens WDC contractors are called, but Mussle said there were challenges with mustering or controlling the cattle on the road.

“We share the community’s concerns and have worked with the community and other agencies over time in an attempt to find a way forward.”

Signs warning about wandering stock and with a number to call were one way council attempted to mitigate the risk.

Mussle said the district council has asked the regional council to use its wild animal control skills and resources to help the community control the cattle before they get on to the road.

“Enormous effort has been expended by council and landowners to find ways to get the cattle off the private land either through mustering or shooting.”

Mussle said there had been unsuccessful attempts to reach a joint action plan with some landowners.

The problem of roaming wild cattle is widespread across Northland. This mob in Dargaville regularly breaks through fencing on to privately-owned land, where they pose a disease and insemination risk to the farmed herd and destroy infrastructure.

Other considerations WDC said it took into account were:

• “Tagged” animals had strayed into and adopted the aggressive traits of the wild herd.
  
• The Fencing Act specifically excluded Council from having to fence (or share the cost of fencing) along road boundaries.
  
• Stock on private land are not WDC’s responsibility.
  
• Council did not have the right to enforce fencing requirements between private properties.
  
• Landowners could round up feral or straying animals into a paddock for Council to collect and dispose of as per Impound laws.
  
• The bush-covered land involved was vast and made up of multiple titles, owned privately and jointly by individual people and groups.
  
• Fencing was cost-prohibitive and difficult.
  
• Herding and finding somewhere to hold feral cattle is difficult, especially along the stretch of road involved.
  
• Police were required to shoot stock but not always available.
  
• Permission must be granted by two elected WDC members before stock are shot.
  
• Stock roads had often moved on by the time contractors assigned to deal with them, got there.
  
• Removing stock from the road can be difficult and dangerous, especially with aggressive bulls.
  
• Musterers, hunters and cullers all have health and safety requirements to meet and must have permission of the landowner to work on a property.
  
• Unstable terrain, dense bush and poor visibility make it difficult to tell the boundary between one property that has consented to a cull and a property that hasn’t. Therefore some contractors are reluctant to take on the work.
  
• Council does not provide street lighting to rural roads.

Sarah Curtis is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on a wide range of issues. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in journalism, much of which she spent court reporting. She is passionate about covering stories that make a difference