The Ministry of Primary Industries has no plans to strengthen legislation that allows surveillance cameras to be installed on farms in a bid to expose animal abuse.
Animal advocates SAFE and Farmwatch are demanding the government ministry be stripped of its animal welfare responsibilities and an independent animal welfare ministry be set up instead.
They are also calling on the government to strengthen the Search and Surveillance Act so that cameras can be placed in all dairy sheds and slaughterhouses.
The call followed the release of video footage that shows a sharemilker in Mangapai, 19km south of Whangārei, violently and repeatedly hitting cows. The animals are seen being hit on the head and legs with farm tools and weapons, including a steel pipe.
MPI is re-investigating the matter after an earlier inquiry was dropped because of a lack of evidence.