Our approach to engagement

We aim to ensure that communities, land occupiers and land users are notified in advance about our operations and can submit feedback on any risks or sensitive areas that need to be managed.

This approach includes sharing our plans with:

• landowners/occupiers who may be directly affected by operations
• commercial companies
• iwi groups and trusts
• hunting associations and outdoor recreation groups
• regional and local government
• district public health units and Medical Officers of Health
• conservation groups
• animal welfare groups
• the general public.

TBfree programme consultation process

The consultation process for the TBfree programme involves several steps, from planning and operational design to reporting on completed operations. National, regional and local consultations provide an opportunity for people and organisations to learn about proposed operations and identify any further information they need.

National consultation

An important part of our consultation process is an annual national consultation on proposed operations for the coming year. This ensures that affected parties, land occupiers and land users are advised, well in advance, of our proposed TBfree pest control operations. It also provides interested parties with the opportunity to submit feedback on planned operations and any potential risks or problems that may need to be managed.

Operations may be modified where our consultation with the community identifies the need to do so. For example, previous consultation with deer-hunting groups in the central North Island has led to widespread use of deer repellent on 1080 baits across areas of high hunting value.

Regional consultation

As part of our regional consultation process, we ensure that land occupiers within and next to operational areas are notified well in advance of operations, receiving specific notification and personal visits.

We also notify the public through newspaper notices and clear signposting at main access points to operational areas. We may hold community meetings where operations are likely to be of wide or significant community interest.