Critical milestone for possum control in Hawke’s Bay
This month we achieved an important milestone in our national TB eradication programme by successfully completing several aerial operations in the Hawke’s Bay region, covering approximately 30,000ha of challenging terrain.
The aerial operations will benefit both farmers and the wider community, as well as work towards eradicating TB from Hawke’s Bay.
The aerial operations included:
- 10,000ha in Waipunga, near the Napier Taupō Road. This operation was an urgent priority for us and Hawke’s Bay farmers as TB is known to be prevalent in local wildlife.
- A critical operation in Waikoau covering 10,000ha of private, forestry and public conservation land.
- 7,500ha in Willowflat. The operational boundary is within 3kms of Waipunga and forms a broader protective TB buffer to the Urewara.
- 3592ha in Poronui-Ripia.
We have also completed 107,948ha of ground control work in the region.
We have committed $20 million over the next five years to keep possum numbers at sustainable levels in Hawke’s Bay. This includes buffering work to protect farms, treating the areas that are the source of infection, and continuing ground and aerial control work.
Eradicating TB from possums is a critical priority for OSPRI as we work towards our goal of TB freedom in cattle.