Source: Federated Farmers
Federated Farmers say a National Party pledge to increase the funding and coordination of pest control shows they’ve been listening carefully to farmers’ concerns.
If re-elected, National will invest a further $16 million over four years from the International Visitor Levy (IVL) fund to reduce pest numbers.
The funding would back coordinated control programmes across farms, forestry and crown land, starting in the Central North Island and Southern Westland.
“This announcement is an incredibly positive step in the right direction,” says Federated Farmers pest management spokesperson Richard Dawkins.
“In the current economic environment, funding increases for any work programme are hard to come by, so we’re grateful to see pest control being prioritised.
“New Zealand’s pest populations are absolutely out of control and causing huge issues for farmers. We’ve got to make smart funding decisions and make every dollar count.
“That’s why it’s also great to see National talking about better coordination across all land types – farms, forestry, and the Department of Conversation estate.”
Farmers already spend significant amounts on control, allowing hunter access and working with councils and agencies, but those efforts are being undermined when neighbouring land isn’t being managed to the same standard, Dawkins says.
“Nobody can solve this problem alone because pests don’t respect boundary fences. It’s going to take much better coordination if we want to get on top of pest populations.”
The $16 million investment will be in addition to a four-year funding boost of $9.7 million announced by the Government earlier this year.
Getting on top of pest numbers and ensuring IVL money is actually spent on conservation featured in Federated Farmers’ policy priorities for the 2026 election.
“Increased funding is always welcome, and it’s a great start, but funding alone isn’t going to solve New Zealand’s pest problem,” Dawkins says.
“It’s also important that we build a framework that ensures any investment delivers lasting reductions in pest numbers, rather than another temporary improvement.
“The last thing we want is to spend hundreds of millions getting pest populations under control, only to see all that hard work undone when the funding runs out.”
Federated Farmers’ 2026 National Pests Survey found that pests cost farmers about $466 million a year through control costs and lost production.
Two-thirds of farmers say pest numbers have increased over the past five years, while average spending on pest control has risen to $6.18 per hectare.
“The real test of progress on combatting this is not how much money is announced but whether pest pressure actually falls, and what the enduring control model looks like,” Dawkins says.