Farmers are being urged to join a police initiative issuing trespass notices to poachers and others illegally on their land.
The initiative, open to all property owners in the upper Waitaki region, was launched in Central Otago through Alexandra police in October, but has been adopted by Omarama Constable Paul Mander.
So far, no-one has been prosecuted in Central Otago under the initiative.
It coincides with thousands of people planning to visit the Waitaki Valley over the Christmas holidays.
Trespassing, including poaching, can become a problem.
Some visitors believe they can go on to high country land to hunt without permission.
Under the scheme, property owners grant police the authority to issue trespass notices to people found on their land without their permission.
The trespass notice includes not just that property, but lists all Central Otago and upper Waitaki properties in the initiative.
"That stops people who have been trespassed from one property or one area going to another," Central Otago police intelligence officer Senior Constable Liz Williams, who oversees the scheme, said.
If an offender who has been issued a trespass notice is caught again on one of the listed properties, police have greater powers and more options to deal with them, including reviewing or revoking firearms licences if they are shooting.
Snr Const Williams said illegal access was an issue for farmers and, after public meetings with them, it was decided to adopt a scheme that had been introduced by police for forestry owners.
Apart from incidents police already knew about, a lot of unreported incidents emerged during those meetings, including damage, stolen stock, wild and domestic animals shot and people shooting from vehicles, she said.
"A lot of this will be reported under the initiative, but hopefully word will also get out to those involved and it will prevent them in the future."
In October, she wrote to 50 property owners in Central Otago offering them the chance to join the initiative.
So far, 15 had signed up and she would be contacting the others to join.
Extending it into the upper Waitaki area was logical to stop people trespassed from Central Otago properties crossing into that area and South Canterbury.
Const Mander had spoken to several Omarama property owners who supported the initiative being extended into the upper Waitaki area.
There had been a "steady stream" of reports - at least one a month - ranging from poaching to property damage, since January in the Omarama area.
If someone is caught poaching or accessing properties without permission, they were trespassed from all Central Otago and upper Waitaki properties on the list.
"There seems to be an increasing problem with people accessing and damaging property and a general lack of courtesy when it comes to hunting. It's a problem people want to see stopped," he said.
