All funds still needed for Tb battle: CEO

There are fears the war against bovine tuberculosis could be compromised because of funding changes by regional councils who view it as having been won, says an industry leader.

Animal Health Board (AHB) chief executive William McCook said Environment Southland and ECan were both changing their bovine Tb control programmes, with ECan proposing to halve its contribution next year to $250,000.

Environment Southland has proposed redirecting its contribution from direct possum control to encouraging farmers to do it and monitoring the results.

Mr McCook said, in the North Island, the Manawatu-Wanganui Regional Council proposed halving its contribution to $400,000.

The Waikato Regional Council last year cut its spending altogether, but after submissions and pressure from farmers proposes spending $800,000 this year.

Mr McCook said the battle with bovine Tb had not been won, despite there being just one or two infected herds in Southland.

He feared gains achieved so far could be lost due to the funding changes.

A dominance of urban voices on regional councils could have tailored their thinking, he said.

Environment Southland was incorrect in its long-term council community plan (LTCCP) when it said the Tb was currently not a threat to cattle and deer because there were no infected herds.

"We still have a major need to fund ongoing work on the boundary with Otago, the Hokonui Hills and Western Southland," Mr McCook said.

"If we walk away we will lose the benefits and create a risk of reinfected herds."

Half the cost of the nation's vector control was paid for by the Government.

Forty percent came from levies, and 10% from regional councils and other non-governmental agencies.

If the regional share was decreased, Mr McCook said it might affect the leveraging of money from the Government.

While controlling Tb vectors was a primary gain, Mr McCook said there were environmental and biodiversity gains for the wider community through fewer pests.

This year's programme would cover nine million hectares nationally.

The cost of control ranged from less than $5 a ha to between $40 and $50 a ha in more difficult areas, and up to $30 a ha for aerial operations.

Environment Southland biosecurity manager Richard Bowman said the Otago rabbit control model was a blueprint for the council's Tb vector control plan in the province, called a self-help programme.

Under this, the council would encourage groups of farmers to co-ordinate vector control.

They would fund the work themselves or by paying contractors.

The council would monitor and police the results.

Mr Bowman said the model worked in the Hawkes Bay.

He estimated it could cost farmers between $1 and $2 a ha a year.

The council's biosecurity rate would not alter because staff would be redeployed to oversee the self-help programme.

Previously, the AHB paid part of their wages to manage the programme, but Mr Bowman said to continue in that role would add $400,000 to the council's costs.

"It is a major hurdle for the council," he said.

The council had been preparing for the time when infected herds fell to the current low number.

Mr Bowman said the new proposal would maintain pressure on vectors without losing gains from 15 years and $50 million of effort.