Dairy manager on stray-livestock charges

The City of Albany is in the midst of a legal battle with the manager of an award-winning dairy after deciding to prosecute him over accusations he allowed livestock to stray from his property.

Duncan John Saunders, the manager of Redmond-based Ringwould Dairy, is fighting four charges that he allegedly permitted the farm’s livestock to stray from the property. The City prosecuted Mr Saunders with four charges of permitting livestock to stray or be at large in a street, public place or private property without consent, from the alleged incidents between November 2015 and February 2016.

In Albany Magistrate’s Court last Thursday, the City successfully applied for the trial date to be adjourned for four months because a City ranger who is a key witness was unavailable. The court was told the ranger was undergoing back surgery and would need time to recover before the new trial date was set for August 22.

The family-owned and run dairy is recognised for its goat’s cheese and milk, with the Saunders family starting production in 2008.

The City has not pursued any other prosecution for stray livestock in the past two years.