Ngamatea TB Management Area (TMA)

As part of our TBfree programme we deliver our pest control operations through a framework of TB management areas (TMAs). TMAs are areas with known TB infection in livestock or wildlife. Each TMA has a specific TB control plan designed to eradicate TB as effectively as possible.

About the TBfree programme

The Ngamatea TMA

In the north the Ngamatea TMA almost reaches the Kaimanawa range, and to the south it crosses the Taihape-Napier road. It almost reaches the northern end of the Ruahine ranges. It spans 33,400 hectares.

The TMA is a mixture of farmland, alpine grassland, scrub and beech forest that rises to 1100 metres above sea level. While the area is farmed, it is also used for private hunting.

History of TB and pest control in Ngamatea

The Ngamatea TMA has a long history of TB infection in cattle herds and local wildlife. We last found TB-infected:

ferrets in the early 2000s
deer in 2003 and 2005
cattle in 2011 and 2015.

Previous possum control and livestock disease management has reduced the number of infected herds in the Hawke's Bay region. However, our monitoring has shown that we need to do further control work in the Ngamatea area to reduce the possum population. This will:

minimise the risk of the disease spreading through wild animal populations into farmed cattle and deer
ensure further good progress towards eradicating TB.

We completed aerial control in the Rangitikei Waingakia Faces in 2020.

We completed ground control in:

Ngamatea and Otupae Ngamatea in 2020/2021, 2022/2023, and 2023/2024
Otupae Kelly in 2020/2021 and 2023/2024.

Future pest control operations

We plan our pest control operations up to 3 years in advance. The current year runs from July 2024 to June 2025.

Dates and control methods for pest control operations in Ngamatea are provisional and subject to change. If you’re affected by any upcoming operations, our pest control contractors will contact you before work begins. They will: