Call to restrict hunters

A concerned police officer wants the Department of Conservation to restrict the number of hunters allowed in a single area before there is another shooting fatality. But Doc says the number of permits issued has never caused a problem.

Senior Constable Helen Fincham-Putter, of Middlemarch, said it was too easy for hunters to get a permit online through the Doc website.

The department had no control over who got a permit, or how many hunters were active in one area at the same time, she said.

The number of permits needed to be capped to control the number of hunters on Doc land.

‘‘They should know who is up there and they should be able to cap it.

‘‘I've had that discussion with them and Doc believe it's not an issue.''

She feared it was matter of time before someone was shot in the Middlemarch area.

‘‘The Rock and Pillar is still open to walkers and trampers and I think you're asking for trouble.

‘‘I think it's an accident waiting to happen.''

Forest companies had a ‘‘tighter'' system, giving permits for a Saturday or a Sunday or both, but Doc permits could be valid for months.

Doc Central Otago operations manager Mike Tubbs said the lack of a cap was not putting lives in danger because there had been no issues identified across New Zealand.

‘‘On a vast majority of conservation land in New Zealand that's the system that operates.''

Doc had open and restricted areas, he said.

The restricted areas had conditions for access and hunters had to visit a Doc office to get the permit.

shawn.mcavinue@odt.co.nz

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