South Canterbury High Country TB Management Area (TMA)
Pest control work planned for South Canterbury High Country includes ground control.
Eradicating bovine TB in NZ
As part of our TBfree programme we deliver our pest control operations through a framework of TB management areas (TMAs). TMAs are areas with known TB infection in livestock or wildlife. Each TMA has a specific TB control plan designed to eradicate TB as effectively as possible.
The South Canterbury High Country TMA
The South Canterbury High Country TMA covers 232,042 hectares, extending from the Main Divide to between the Two Thumb Range in the north and the Ahuriri River catchment in the south.
The habitat includes high-country river valleys with a mixture of rocky and scrubby habitat, extensive native forest ecosystems in some major valley systems, and improved and intensively farmed flats.
History of TB and pest control in South Canterbury High Country
The South Canterbury High Country TMA has a long history of TB infection. We've found TB in wildlife throughout the TMA for many years, with sporadic infections in cattle herds.
We completed ground-based possum control in:
- Wairepo Creek in 2011/2012 and 2022/2023
- Ahuriri, Dobson, MacKenzie North, Ohau Pukaki and Tasman in 2015/2016
- Ahuriri in 2021/2022, 2022/2023 and 2024/2025.
We completed ferret surveys in:
- Dobson in 2011/2012
- Wairepo Creek in 2015/2016
- Ahuriri, Dobson, Mackenzie North, Ohau Pukaki and Tasman in 2023/2024.
We completed a pig survey across the TMA in 2023/2024.
Some areas, such as Hopkins and Huxley, have had very little or no control.
Current state
As of June 2025, there are no infected herds in the South Canterbury High Country TMA.
Future pest control operations
We plan our pest control operations up to 3 years in advance. The current year runs from July 2025 to June 2026.
Dates and control methods for pest control operations in South Canterbury High Country are provisional and subject to change. If you’re affected by any upcoming operations, our pest control contractors will contact you before work begins. They will:
- talk you through the specifics of each operation
- explain what you need to do before the operations start
- get your consent for the work to be done.
| Type of control | When | Coverage | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground control | 2025/2026 | 43,160ha | Ohau Pukaki |
Map of 2025/2026 pest control operations
The proposed area for ground control is marked on the map in green.
Interactive map showing South Canterbury High Country TB management area boundaries, Vector Control Zone, and proposed control areas.
Contacts
Downer NZ Limited manages eradication activities in the South Canterbury High Country TMA. Contact them directly if you have feedback or questions about upcoming operations.
Downer NZ Limited
Phone: 0508 392 355
Email: biosecurity@downer.co.nz
OSPRI
PO Box 3412
Wellington 6140
Phone: 0800 482 463
Email: vector_ssi@ospri.co.nz