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Four men have been charged as a row escalates over the ownership of more than 2,000 hectares of farmland in the Far North.
Stoney Creek in Mangonui is at the centre of a claim by local hapu Ngati Aukiwa and there is concern about plans for its future.
Five kilometres of fence line has been destroyed and it is unclear who will pay for the $50,000 of damaged fencing.
Stoney Creek manager John Marks says cutting the fence is a criminal act and destroys the farm for anyone in the future.
Marks has managed Stoney Creek for 11 years and is caught in the middle of a row between local Maori and The Office of Treaty Negotiations.
The people of Ngati Aukiwa, who live in the middle of Stoney Creek, admit grazing their cows illegally and ignoring requests to remove them.
But they object to the way the Crown plans to overlook their rights in favour of a trust.
"Ngati Akiwa's claim is about the land that was confiscated a number of years ago and they are fighting to have it returned," says Ngati Aukiwa spokesperson Anaru Kira.
Police, who have been reluctant to become involved, say they hope commonsense will prevail. "We have to judge each incident on its merits," says Sergeant Gordon Gunn.
The Office of Treaty Settlements declined to appear on One News, but says Ngati Aukiwa have had plenty to time to air their concerns to a trust which administers the farm.
Four people face charges of trespass and breach of bail.
