The board is amalgamating its vector control programmes which will see Otago become part of the Southern South Island region, south of the Rangitata River.
The board will direct all vector control management, a role in Otago previously contracted out to Southern Pest Management and in Southland by Environment Southland.
Animal Health Board chief executive William McCook said in an interview that vector management had evolved and the amount of work required in the various regions had also changed, and the structural changes would be in line with the board's new Tb strategy.
This will see 11 different contracts reduced to initially six then five, covering 8.5 million ha, or 35% of the New Zealand's land mass.
"We're aligning management to programmes better,'' Mr McCook said.
But Otago Regional Animal Health Committee chairman Phil Hunt said, while supporting the board's decision to bring vector management "in-house'', he was concerned about what that meant to Otago.
In the past 10 years, Otago has reduced the number of infected herds from 296, one of the highest in the country, to less than 20.
Mr Hunt was under no illusion that success was due to the work of the independent contractor Southern Pest Management, farmers, and the RAHC, and he said that local connection and local expertise needed to be maintained.
"The committee has expressed its concerns about that [management] going to Wellington. We do need to ensure we maintain that local base and we have a good working relationship with con-tractors.''
Instead of three vector managers, each with local knowledge, under the new structure there would be one covering half the South Island.
Another factor for the success in Otago was flexibility from levying landowners directly and not having political interference.
This meant money saved on one operation could be targeted to another.
Mr Hunt accepted bovine Tb did not recognise Animal Health Board boundaries and because of that, control programmes may not be consistent. Having one set of rules would be positive.
"I think that's a positive.''
Mr McCook said the changes would also allow the greater use of new technology and give greater confidence that every dollar spent on vector control was being spent efficiently in eradicating the disease.
While the number of infected herds was decreasing, Mr McCook said there were still large areas of wildlife infected with bovine Tb.
The changes would allow the source of disease in contaminated areas to treated as one, with management focused on large geographical areas without the need to co-ordinate what were 11 separate contracts.
Mr McCook said the number of field staff would be increased not lowered, and there would be savings from not duplicating roles.
"You just don't need to have so many people duplicating acts.''
The Southern South Island region would have one head office manned by project and planning staff , where it is to be sited is still to be determined, and field staff would be based
in the regions where they work.
While the changeover in the south would not occur until June next year, other regions will make the shift from this June and Mr McCook said the goal was to avoid disruption for farmers and contractors.