A year of successes for the Animal Health Board

The past financial year heralded the completion of the review the National Pest Management Strategy for bovine tuberculosis (TB) – a big landmark for the future eradication of the disease from New Zealand. This marks a major shift in focus for the Animal Health Board’s (AHB) bovine TB control programme. Under the revised strategy, our key objective will be to eradicate the disease, from both herds and wildlife, across 2.5 million hectares of the 10 million hectares known to contain TB-infected wild animals. This represents one quarter of New Zealand’s most at-risk areas, where disease-carrying wild animals, mainly possums, are largely responsible for passing TB to farmed livestock.

The revised strategy is designed to provide proof that TB can indeed be eradicated from New Zealand, particularly in very difficult bush and mountain country. Eradication of the disease from New Zealand has been our aim from the outset, and now we have a strategy that allows us to take further steps towards this goal. It’s a certainty that if TB cannot be eradicated from possums and other wildlife, New Zealand will always face substantial ongoing costs to maintain the disease and protect our cattle and deer herds from infection.

In the meantime, we have effectively maintained that protection, with just 81 cattle and deer herds being infected at the end of 2010/11 – compared to more than 1700 in the mid-1990s.

This work is clearly being recognised as having a positive effect on both the management of TB and the protection of New Zealand native birds and bush, which are being devastated by predators, such as possums, rats and stoats. Two independent reports during the year highlighted the success of the TB programme and the importance of possum control in conserving our country’s native ecosystem. The first report, carried out under a Cabinet directive, investigated the cost-effectiveness of our delivery of the TB strategy. It found the programme is delivering “ahead of expectations” in an “efficient and effective manner”. The other report of note – Evaluating the use of 1080: Predators, poisons and silent forests – was compiled by Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Dr Jan Wright. The Commissioner looked at the effectiveness of aerial 1080 application and expressed the view that more of the toxin should be used to protect our forests.

In spite of these endorsements, maintaining funding support for the programme remains one of the greatest challenges and risks. Our funders are balancing a demand for increased activities within their respective organisations with an underlying need for fiscal restraint. We acknowledge the significance of our stakeholders in maintaining our funding base over the past year, particularly in the current financial climate. We will ensure this commitment is reflected by our continued emphasis on efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

The entire country benefits from the export of our agricultural products. With so much at stake, we cannot afford to expose our farming industry – the country’s undeniable economic base – to the risks associated with bovine TB. Any reduction in funding of the programme would seriously compromise our efforts to manage and eventually eradicate the disease, as well as protect the conservation gains that have been made – an important additional benefit of controlling infected wild animals. The TB programme greatly adds to the pest management work of regional councils and the Department of Conservation (DOC). Our continued close co-operation with DOC has provided mutual benefits to both organisations as well as to the farming and conservation sectors.
Last year’s Project Kaka in Tararua Forest Park was an outstanding example of the two organisations working together for maximum pest management benefit and value for money.

We have also been active in developing new avenues of communication and education around TB and the benefits of controlling the disease. This year we formed a strategic partnership with New Zealand Young Farmers to communicate directly with the next generation of herdowners. We have also worked to enhance our relationships with various stakeholder groups and with farmers themselves. These partnerships help ensure we can continue to advance the TB control programme. They also enhance the reputation of New Zealand’s control scheme on the international stage. This brings me to another very important highlight of the year – the award of the Queen’s Service Order to AHB TB Eradication and Research Manager, Paul Livingstone, for his outstanding contribution to veterinary science. A most well-deserved honour bestowed on someone who has worked tirelessly for years to tackle TB and protect New Zealand’s economic future.

Paul will of course be the first to say that the success of the TB programme to date has all been due to teamwork. So my thanks go to the farmers, staff and contractors, TBfree committees and scientists who have worked to deliver another year of positive results for the TBfree New Zealand programme.

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