A North Canterbury riverbed has been turned into a "war zone" by shooters using high-powered, semi-automatic rifles and shotguns, a nearby resident says. But the riverbed is a public area, they say, and the shooters continue firing despite being near people, animals, and properties. Land Information New Zealand's deputy chief executive of Crown property Jerome Sheppard confirms it is responsible for parts of the Okuku River. Environment Canterbury zone lead of North Canterbury Marco Cataloni confirms it received a complaint on Saturday, March 23, about people shooting guns on the Okuku River. Waimakariri District Council's communications manager Alistair Gray says its customer service team isn't aware of any complaints relating to shooting near the Okuku riverbed.

Source: Stuff April 16, 2019 20:03 UTC