Station operators fined $50k over the death of 1,000 cattle suffering from neglect

The operators of a cattle station in Western Australia’s Pilbara region have been fined $50,000 over the deaths of cattle from serious neglect.

The Mugarinya Community Association, which operates the Yandeyarra Reserve near Port Hedland, was charged with animal cruelty after more than 1,000 animals died from thirst or starvation in January 2019.

The Perth Magistrates Court was told while the charge the operator now faced related to only 86 of the animals, including 15 which had to be put down, they represented a sample of what had happened on the reserve.

The court heard the 15 cattle were suffering from starvation while another 68 had fallen or become stuck in mud, all of which could have been prevented by the Association.

Magistrate Andrew Maughan accepted that it was a case of serious neglect rather than any intention to cause the animals harm, but he said the cattle had been reliant on the operators for food and water.

The Association had entered into a deed of agreement with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) to cover the $485,900 cost of its response to the emergency.

Magistrate Maughan said that is what the Association should have spent in the first place to avoid the harm it caused.

Operators remorseful

He accepted that steps had been put in place to ensure the same situation does not happen again and he acknowledged the Association’s plea of guilty, saying it showed an acceptance of responsibility and remorse.

Mr Maughan also said the guilty plea had alleviated the need for a trial and the need for witnesses to come to court and testify.

The Association’s lawyers had urged him to suspend any fine, because it is a charitable organisation, but the magistrate said he was not inclined to do that.

Originally, the Association and eight members of its board at the time were charged with 25 counts of animal cruelty.

However, after what was described in court as “protracted pre-trial negotiations”, the charges against the individuals were discontinued and the Association faced only one count.