Tutaekuri-Waitara TB Management Area (TMA)
Pest control work planned for Tutaekuri-Waitara includes ground control.
Eradicating bovine TB in NZ
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.
The Tutaekuri-Waitara TMA
The Tutaekuri-Waitara TMA is in the Hawke's Bay region and spans 41,018 hectares. The Te Hoe River is in the north, and it meets the Tutaekuri river in the south. The recreationally significant Mohaka River runs through the northern section of the TMA. The TMA also includes part of the Kaweka Recreational Hunting Area.
Much of this TMA is forested hill country with a low number of herds. The highest herd concentration is in the Waitara Valley area, which has beef breeding, meat production, and grazing herds.
History of TB and pest control in Tutaekuri-Waitara
The Tutaekuri-Waitara TMA has a long history of TB infection in cattle herds and wildlife. We’ve found TB-infected pigs, ferrets and possums. Most recently we found an infected:
- pig in Waitara Valley in 2021/2022
- ferret in Makahu Inangatahi in 2020/2021.
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 Tutaekuri-Waitara 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:
- Waitara Valley in 2017 and 2020
- Te Awahohonu in 2020
- part of Pakatutu and Makahu Inangatahi in 2020
- Tutaekuri Mohaka in 2022
- Waitara Valley and Te Awahohonu in 2024.
We completed ground control in:
- Tarawera and Waitara Valley in 2019/2020, 2020/2021, 2021/2022, 2022/2023, and 2023/2024
- Pakatutu and Makahu Inangatahi in 2019/2020, 2020/2021, 2021/2022, and 2022/2023
- Te Awahohonu in 2023/2024.
Current state
As of June 2024, there is 1 infected herd in the Tutaekuri-Waitara TMA.
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 the Tutaekuri-Waitara TMA 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:
- talk you through the specifics of each operation
- explain what you need to do before the operations start
- get your consent for the work to be done.
| Type of control | When | Coverage | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground control | 2024/2025 | 19,098ha | Makahu Inangatahi, Pakatutu, Tarawera, Waitara Valley |
Map of 2024/2025 pest control operations
The proposed areas for ground control are marked on the map in green.
Interactive map showing Tutaekuri-Waitara TB management area boundaries, Vector Control Zone, and proposed control areas.
Contacts
Better Nature manages eradication activities in the Tutaekuri-Waitara TMA. Contact them directly if you have feedback or questions about upcoming operations.
Better Nature
Phone: 06 836 5590
Email: admin@betternature.nz
Nearest local OSPRI office
OSPRI Palmerston North office
PO Box 9078
Terrace End
Palmerston North 4441
Phone: 06 353 2710
Email: vector.sni@ospri.co.nz