Editorial: Right call
OPINION: Public pressure has led to Canterbury Police rightly rolling back its proposed restructure that would have seen several rural police stations closed in favour of centralised hubs.
In the past four weeks, Police have received 36 complaints of wandering stock on the roads, ranging from a couple of miniature ponies on the road to more than 30 cows on the loose.
Areas of concern include Helensville, Wellsford, Dairy Flat, and Stillwater.
Waitematā North area prevention manager, Senior Sergeant Roger Small says one of the main causes for stock getting onto roads is inadequate fencing.
“This time of the year sees the slowest grass growth and I suspect some farmers are getting short on grass, which will be contributing to animals pushing through fences to the long grass on roadsides,” he says.
“We are reminding farmers to keep road boundary fences in good condition and for landowners to be extra vigilant around stock management and supervision.”
Small says that with each incident there is the potential for serious injury if a motorist is involved.
“Police are very appreciative of motorists taking the time to notify authorities of potential risks and in many cases, making efforts to usher stock back into paddocks before accidents occur.”
He says wandering stock pose a danger for road users, particularly at night when animals are hard to see.
“If a vehicle hits a large animal at speed it could end in tragedy.
“To avoid this it is important for land owners to ensure the integrity of their fences and farm gates, particularly in areas where stock are grazing paddocks next to roadside.”
Animals wandering onto roads is covered under several acts, which include the Animal Management Bylaw 2015, Impounding Act 1955, the Animals Law Reform Act 1989 and the Transit New Zealand Act 1989, though liability depends on the circumstances of each incident.
