Roaming cattle in Waikaraka, Whangārei: Fears someone will be killed

Roaming cattle have been an ever-increasing issue over the past 15 years in Waikaraka. Residents fear for their safety and that of passing motorists on the busy Whangārei Heads Road. Graphic / NZME

Mobs of wild cattle are invading a picturesque harbourside community in Whangārei, causing landowners to fear for their properties, safety and the lives of passing motorists.

Waikaraka resident Peter Scott believed about 100 wild cattle were roaming a large tranche of land including native bush, nine Māori land blocks known collectively as Pakikaikutu, and residential lifestyle properties.

The cattle were often on Whangārei Heads Road at night, posing a serious hazard to traffic on the busy commuter and tourist route, anywhere from Grahamtown to Tamaterau. They also regularly ventured down to the beach.

Roaming cattle are a problem in many pockets of Northland.

The issue at Waikaraka had been ongoing for about 15 years, Scott said. A farmer was convicted and banned from owning cattle but continued to do so through his daughter. The herd – being grazed on a neighbouring property – escaped through substandard fencing and had been roaming freely since.

The herd size had steadily increased over the years and now young bulls were heading separate mobs and vying for territory.

Scott warned someone – either a passing motorist or a resident – was likely to be killed in an accident or trying to prevent one.

The cattle trudged through waterways, native bush and onto the beach, causing destruction, pollution and deep clagging of the land.

One of Scott’s neighbours, who did not want to be named, said he was regularly woken at night by bulls bellowing. He often had to go outside in the darkness to scare them off and try to save his property and fences.

It was a dangerous task, with one dominant bull weighing at least a tonne. Residents were at risk of being rushed by the cattle, he said. He once had to leap for safety up a tree.

Damage to native bush included a glade of about 150 nīkau palms, which had been eaten down to stumps.

Roaming cattle have cleared vast areas of bush around Waikaraka, including a glade of nīkau palms.

A spring-fed stream that ran through the area – once the sole water source for Waikaraka – was now a cattle “highway”. The erosion and pollution the animals caused had wiped out a once-abundant population of native crayfish (kōura).

The cattle could easily ram their way through a poorly maintained fenceline and weren’t perturbed by the challenge of a steep slope, Scott’s neighbour said.

Scott said some residents didn’t mind the cattle and would shoot one or two for meat each year when they wandered onto their land. But many others were “scared stupid”.

Once pristine waterways in the native bush surrounding Waikaraka are being destroyed by cattle dung and sediment caused by the mobs as they trudge about at will.

Both men said they had tried unsuccessfully to get help from the likes of Whangārei District Council and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) but, because the cattle were not owned by anyone, they were not subject to any enforcement actions.

Scott’s neighbour said he and one of the Māori trust shareholders met council officials, including animal control staff, 2½ years ago to suggest culling the bulls. He said he was told the problem was a community one and that he should fence his land.

Officials agreed to put “Wandering Stock” signs on Whangārei Heads Road, though these had not yet materialised.

Wild cattle frequently make their way onto the busy Whangārei Heads Road at night.

Scott’s neighbour said the problem would not exist in a normal rural setting.

“This isn’t like dry-stock farming, where the herd is managed and culled. We have absolutely no control.”

He noted that MPI rules required cattle to be ear-tagged and properly managed, to prevent transmission of dangerous diseases such as Mycoplasma bovis. Yet these cattle appeared to be exempt.

Scott said: “It’s terrible that no one wants to do anything about it and, of course, as soon as something happens there will be recriminations everywhere.”

June Pitman, a shareholder of part of the Pakikaikutu land block, who attended the meeting with officials and Scott’s neighbour, echoed many of the residents’ concerns.

As kaitiaki (caretakers) of the land, the trust was also concerned about the destruction of native bush by the cattle, which ate both the understorey and top layer of the bush canopy, trampled plants and caused deep pugging.

She was concerned about an upcoming event in September, in which Pakikaikutu kāinga would be hosting about 180 people from other Ngāti Pūkenga kainga further south, and were expecting to walk to their historic urupā. Organisers were mindful of the pugging hazard to some of the walkers and were taking extra precautions to safeguard the route.

Pitman said she and other trustees wanted to see the cattle properly fenced out of the Pakikaikutu block, or a managed cull.

She noted the wild cattle had at times approached farmed mobs in the area.

Waikaraka locals fear encounters with dangerous wild bulls.

Who’s responsible?

Whangārei District Council health and bylaws manager Reiner Mussle said three complaints about stock on the road in the Waikaraka area had been made during the past month.

They all related to wild cattle that had come down from the bush.

“These cattle do not appear to be owned by anyone in particular. We believe they may be the remnants and offspring of a herd owned by a farmer who was in the area many years ago.

“Our contractors have approached the Deerstalkers Association, who have expressed interest in locating and shooting the feral stock.

“Our next steps will be to contact the [Māori] trust that owns the land to seek their views on this approach.

“The situation is complicated by the cattle not being owned. However, we are working to find a long-term solution.

“We are all concerned at the risk that these roaming cattle pose to drivers in the area and we want to prevent a tragedy.”

A spokesperson for the Northland Regional Council said it had no mandate to control wandering domestic and stock animals, which came under district councils’ jurisdiction. However, it could get involved if feral animals become recognised pests under its Northland Regional Pest and Marine Pathway Management Plan. (Cattle were not included.)

“The northern side of the Whangārei Harbour from Waikaraka to Whangārei Heads is a biodiversity hotspot and home to endemic and threatened plants and animals, including native bats/pekapeka and kiwi.

“Browsing animals, such as cattle, remove palatable plants causing the bush to look threadbare. This lets in drying winds and can change the character of the bush.

“Unmanaged cattle can cause damage to waterways by contributing to erosion and negatively affecting water quality through additions of nutrients and bacteria from sediment and manure. Landowners should contact Northland Regional Council if they have questions about fencing waterways,” the spokesperson said.

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.