Stock firm withholds fine

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 237, 29 March 1988, Page 1

Stock firm withholds fine

A Raetihi stock firm has balked at a charge of more than $200 to release 29 cattle from the borough pound. At the last meeting of the Raetihi Borough Council Monday March 21 a letter was received from Elders Pastoral Ltd stating that they felt the charge was unfair. In May 1987 a herd of cattle under the care of Elders Pastoral broke

free and wandered through a residential area of Raetihi causing some damage to property. In the letter Elders Pastoral questioned the amount of damage council had claimed had occurred. "Brian Chambers ... inspected King Street and other places they had been for damage. There had been some

marking of grass verges," an Elders Pastoral spokesperson said in the letter. " "Your claim that serious damage, smashed fences is completely incorrect." Elders Pastoral claimed they had not received a n y complaints from residents in the area of the incident. "The cattle were obvi-

ously on the road, but your allegations of serious damage are false." The company also questioned the claim that councillor T o m Punch's dog had been injured in the incident, saying the veterinary clinic had been checked and the dog had not been treated there. "I'll show them the bill if they like," said Turntop. 3

Stock firm fine

From p. 1 Councillor Tom Punch. The company did not deny the cattle had escaped onto the road and that council staff would have been inconvenienced. "But we feel that the charge of $239.25 is ludicrous and the reasons you give for charging this amount have been false." "We didn't charge them for any of the damage, we o n 1 y charged them the impounding fees we were entitled to charge," said

Town Clerk Hope Vaughan. "It would be a fee that would be charge to anyone," said Cr Summerhays. "Let's just answer this letter, pointing out that we don't accept the points they raise. In fact point out that they have only been charged the impounding fee and that we intend t o obtain that amount," Mayor G a r r i c k Workman. A motion to this effect was put to council and carried.