Waitomo councillor calls for more police resources over armed poaching

Wednesday, 1 July 2026

A Waitomo district councillor is calling for more police resources to tackle armed poaching with farmers telling her they’ve waited more than a week after calling for help.

Councillor Janette Osborne says rural residents are being left feeling vulnerable when officers cannot respond quickly.

“The police need to have sufficient resources to be able to come out and respond at the time, not two weeks later.”

Osborne raised the issue after Waikato West Area Commander Inspector Andrew Mortimore presented the district's crime figures to Waitomo District councillors.

Her concerns echo those of Federated Farmers and come after a Curia poll found 42% of Waikato and Bay of Plenty farmers had experienced crime in the past two years.

Police Minister Mark Mitchell says armed poaching is a serious offence and expects officers to respond in a “timely and appropriate manner”.

Osborne, who lives rurally, asked Mortimore whether poaching was recorded under dishonest or property crime.

“I'm rural and that's our main issue - people with guns coming and shooting; and abusing farmers.”

Mortimore said poaching would likely fall under theft or dishonesty offences and believed many incidents were going unreported.

“I know it's happening, but there's a difference between it happening and being brought to the attention of police and being reported.”

Speaking to the Waikato Times, Osborne said poaching was an issue that “needs to be tackled nationally”.

“Sometimes the response is absolutely excellent and then sometimes they just don't have the resources.

“They'll say, ‘Oh, we'll come back to you next week. We'll give you a ring next week.’”

Federated Farmers Waikato president Chris Woolerton said rural crime came in waves.

“There’s a base level of offending, and the spikes can be down to one or two individuals on a theft or animal rustling spree.

“When police catch up to them, the spikes flatten until another offender or offenders ramp up their activities in a rural district.”

Osborne recalled repeatedly encountering a man allegedly shooting from the roadside with a firearm.

She said one neighbour was eight months pregnant at the time, but they were unable to get police action.

“I rang the 555 and actually got a response. Probably because I mentioned he had a firearm. But we actually got a response and they did pull him over.”

She said they challenged the man and asked how he would feel “if we turned up at your house with a firearm?”

“He said, ‘oh, you can't do that because I live in town.’”

Mitchell said rural communities faced unique policing challenges, including remoteness and fewer opportunities to spot offenders.

“This is not a new problem and remains one we are committed to addressing.

“On armed poaching, this is a serious criminal offence. It puts farming families at risk and causes real financial harm.”

While police have operational independence over staffing and resourcing, Mitchell said he expected officers to respond to reports of armed poaching in a “timely and appropriate manner”.

Osborne said she wanted assurances rural incidents would be followed up so residents felt “less vulnerable”.

“It should be treated the same way. Why should we be treated any less?”