Source: OSPRI New Zealand
Good news for some regions in the North and South Island who are seeing a reduction in their TB testing requirements.
As of 1 February, the following regions have reduced Movement Control Areas (MCAs) in the low-risk parts of: Hawkes Bay, Moonshine, Buller and Kaikoura. This change results in 600 deer and cattle herds no longer requiring pre-movement testing, and the minimum age of animals requiring a TB test has been raised from three months to 12 months of age for these 600 herds. MCAs are in place to minimise the risk of TB spreading through the uncontrolled movement of infected livestock from herds to areas that have an elevated risk of infection from local wildlife. Now that the risk is lower through possum control, we can reduce pre-movement testing.
OSPRI vets do a thorough assessment to ensure the risk of disease spreading from wildlife into livestock is under control.
OSPRI’s General Manager, Service Delivery in the South Island, Danny Templeman, says over the last three years, there has been a continued reduction in movement control areas which previously were under restricted movement for decades.
“The fact that we are able to significantly reduce the MCA boundaries on much of the upper South Island and parts of the West Coast is testament to the TBfree programme really working the way it should,” says Templeman.
