The hunter said the paper road was being blocked by cars, fences, illegal buildings and heavy branches, and police and Whang\u0101rei District Council, which had authority over the paper road<\/a>, needed to act.<\/p>\n The council said it was investigating a complaint about buildings built on or near the paper road.<\/p>\n \u2018I live in fear of a shooting accident\u2019<\/p>\n One local resident, who also asked not to be named, said the issue was not about access<\/a> but firearms safety \u2013 both for her family and for walkers on the paper road.<\/p>\n The resident said she \u201clived in fear\u201d of a shooting accident, especially after hearing reports of accidental discharges. The hunter said there had been only one incident, caused by a faulty mechanism, and the gun had been pointed safely downward.<\/p>\n The resident said she was horrified to learn the hunter was shooting from a 2m-high hide on the paper road, which she said posed a danger to walkers.<\/p>\n She also objected to his use of raw meat and dead possums to attract wild pigs saying the rotting bait was disgusting, carried disease risks for dogs and breached biosecurity rules.<\/p>\n The Ministry for Primary Industries confirmed it received a complaint about untreated meat used as bait for pigs in 2025 and had educated a hunter on their responsibilities.<\/p>\n After this, the resident withdrew permission for the hunter to drive across her land to reach the paper road, later issuing a trespass order after he cut a track across a historic p\u0101 site<\/a> on the paper road near her house.<\/p>\n \u201cHe has threatened, harassed, bullied and intimidated me,\u201d she claimed.<\/p>\n \u201cI just want my family to live peacefully<\/a> and feel safe and secure on my own property.\u201d<\/p>\n She said she did not stop walkers from using the paper road, with neighbours regularly walking it.<\/p>\n Other neighbours supported her allegations.<\/p>\n Another unnamed resident claimed the hunter and Franklin Rd resident Carol McCay had used machinery to clear bush on the paper road, damaging kauri trees, and their behaviour was straining community relationships.<\/p>\n The hunter said he had decades of firearms safety experience and never shot close to people\u2019s homes, nor was he ever intimidating.<\/p>\n \u2018This is the worst situation\u2019<\/p>\n McCay said she and the hunter were the ones being targeted, confirming he only fired when more than 1km away from people\u2019s houses.<\/p>\n She had supported the pest-control work<\/a> for years because wild pigs and cattle damaged her orchard and nearby bush.<\/p>\n McCay and the hunter cleared part of the paper road, with council permission, to give access but no big trees were cut down. In contrast, other neighbours had cleared vast areas and built illegally on the paper road, she said.<\/p>\n McCay said tensions escalated in December when she and the hunter walked along the paper road past a barbecue.<\/p>\n They walked around the obstructions but on their return were set upon by \u201cfour adults looking for a fight\u201d, she said.<\/p>\n An altercation ensued.<\/p>\n McCay claimed a woman grabbed her phone and threw it away and she instinctively grabbed at the woman\u2019s face, smashing her glasses. The woman claimed she knocked the phone out of McCay\u2019s hand when she was blindsided, then was punched in the face by McCay. The hunter claimed he was pushed and his dog was attacked.<\/p>\n Rakete confirmed police were contacted by both parties to complain of assault but the matter had not progressed.<\/p>\n McCay said the tensions in the community were the \u201cworst situation\u201d she had ever been in, previously living in areas where neighbours looked out for each other.<\/p>\n What paper roads allow<\/p>\n Shaughan Anderson of Herenga \u0101 Nuku Aotearoa, the Outdoor Access Commission, said the conflict stemmed from misunderstandings about paper roads<\/a>.<\/p>\n Members of the public had the same rights to use them as any formed road<\/a>, and neighbouring landowners could not restrict access nor dictate how they were used.<\/p>\n Anderson was frustrated the council had not acted sooner to remove obstructions, giving some homeowners a sense of entitlement.<\/p>\n He complained to the council about a house built on or next to the paper road without proper consents, and about fences blocking access.<\/p>\n He believed police should also act on the obstructions.<\/p>\n Council transport manager Jeff Devine confirmed the public were entitled to reasonable access along all paper roads, provided they did not cause damage.<\/p>\n He said the council\u2019s property team and a surveyor were investigating the complaint about buildings on or near the road.<\/p>\n Rakete said police considered the issue a council matter and noted some parties were considering civil action.<\/p>\n Community tensions remain<\/p>\n Another unnamed Franklin Rd resident said although the paper road was public, it didn\u2019t mean people could just do whatever they wanted on it<\/a>.<\/p>\n He also complained about the hunter and McCay clearing trees and said McCay did not allow open access to a paper road along her top paddock.<\/p>\n He described the pair as intimidating, particularly during the December barbecue incident.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were there minding our own business, she came through with a phone in her hand videoing and taking registrations … She said \u2018I\u2019m allowed here, it\u2019s a paper road\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cIt would\u2019ve been like having a party at Mair Park and someone coming up and videoing you.\u201d<\/p>\n Riki Solomon, from Ng\u0101ti T\u016b, said there were many hap\u016b and tangata whenua who held knowledge of the area, including understanding of significant sites, w\u0101hi tapu and areas of ecological significance<\/a> to rongo\u0101 (traditional M\u0101ori medicine).<\/p>\n Anyone who used the area needed appropriate knowledge and permission to prevent harm, he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile walking and hunting may be viewed by some as recreational activities within this rohe, they intersect with whakapapa history and ongoing kaitiakitanga responsibilities.<\/p>\n \u201cNg\u0101ti T\u016b advocates for clear processes that recognise mana whenua, support informed consent and uphold tikanga M\u0101ori, ensuring that cultural integrity, safety and environmental wellbeing are maintained for present and future generations.\u201d<\/p>\nThe paper road, highlighted in blue, runs between Waikaraka and Mt Tiger in Whang\u0101rei Heads, according to this map from Herenga \u0101 Nuku.<\/p>\n
A resident says dead possums and other waste laid to bait pigs was disgusting and in breach of biosecurity rules.<\/p>\n
A resident says wild pigs were baited and shot at from a 2m-high hide, seen in the background.<\/p>\n
A hide used for pest control was cut down as part of the dispute. Photo \/ Denise Piper<\/p>\n
Shaughan Anderson, of Herenga \u0101 Nuku Aotearoa, the Outdoor Access Commission, says fences illegally obscure the paper road. Photo \/ Denise Piper<\/p>\n