Strath Taieri TB Management Area (TMA)
Pest control work planned for Strath Taieri 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 Strath Taieri TMA
The Strath Taieri TMA covers 175,170 hectares. It encompasses the drylands inland from Dunedin, around Middlemarch, and the eastern faces of the Rock and Pillar Ranges, through to the Pigroot in the northeast.
The habitat is a mixture of tussock and scrub, together with improved farmland. It supports a mixture of intensive and extensive farming.
History of TB and pest control in Strath Taieri
The Strath Taieri TMA has a long history of TB infection in cattle herds and wildlife, dating from the 1990s.
We completed ground-based possum control in:
- Eastern Rock and Pillar, Middlemarch and Mount Stoker in 2014/2015
- Clarks, Deep Creek, Eastern Rock and Pillar, Moonlight, Shannon and Sutton in 2018/2019
- Clarks, Deep Creek, Eastern Rock and Pillar, Moonlight, Shannon, Sutton Creek, Middlemarch and Mount Stoker in 2019/2020, 2020/2021, 2021/2022, and 2022/2023.
We completed a small possum control operation in parts of Clarks in 2023/2024.
We have completed several surveys over the last few years, including:
- a pig survey in 2016/2017
- ferret surveys throughout the TMA in 2018/2019 and in Clarks in 2019/2020.
Current state
As of June 2024, there are no infected herds in the Strath Taieri TMA.
If you're moving animals
Parts of the Strath Taieri TMA are in the Coastal/Central Otago Movement Control Area. Before you move cattle or deer to another herd or farm, you must have them tested for bovine TB.
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 Strath Taieri 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 | 170,000ha | Clarks, Deep Creek, Eastern Rock and Pillar, Middlemarch, Moonlight, Mount Stoker, Shannon, Sutton Creek |
Map of 2024/2025 pest control operations
The proposed areas for ground control are marked on the map in green.
Interactive map showing Strath Taieri TB management area boundaries, Vector Control Zone, and proposed control areas.
Contacts
Rentokil Initial manages eradication activities in the Strath Taieri TMA. Contact them directly if you have feedback or questions about upcoming operations.
Rentokil Initial
Phone: 0508 767 786
Email: kuran.ireland@rentokil-initial.com
OSPRI office
PO Box 3412
Wellington 6140
Phone: 0800 482 463
Email: vector_ssi@ospri.co.nz