Grey TB Management Area (TMA)
Pest control work planned for Grey includes ground control, aerial control and wildlife surveillance.
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 Grey TMA
The Grey TMA covers 99,224 hectares east of Greymouth, between the Taramakau and Grey Rivers. The area includes the Arnold Valley, Lake Brunner, Inchbonnie, Taramakau Valley and Moana Township. Public conservation areas include the Peter Ridge, Mt Te Kinga and the Hohonu Range.
The habitat is narrow strips of farmland interspersed by moderate to high hills, covered with podocarp bush and scrub areas. Altitudes range from sea level to 1200 metres on the Hohonu Range.
History of TB and pest control in the Grey TMA
In 2007, TB-infected possums were found behind Greymouth at Boddytown, and a TB-infected pig was identified from the Hohonu Range in 2010.
Since 2012 we have completed ground-based possum control throughout the area.
We undertook aerial control in:
- Moana North aerial in 2011
- Hohonu aerial, Marsden East aerial and Te Kinga aerial in 2012, and
- Kaiata South block in 2013.
Current state
As of June 2023, there are no infected herds in the Grey TMA.
If you're moving animals
The Grey TMA sits across the Tasman/West Coast Movement Control Area (MCA) and the West Coast Kahurangi Annual Special Testing Area (STA). Before you move cattle or deer to another herd or farm from an MCA, you must have them tested for bovine TB. If you're in an STA, you don't need to do pre-movement testing.
Future pest control operations
We plan our pest control operations up to 3 years in advance. The current year runs from July 2023 to June 2024.
Dates and control methods for pest control operations in Grey 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 | 2023/2024 | 32,500ha | Arnold Valley, Bell Hill, Marsden West, Taramakau |
| Ground control | 2025/2026 | 4000ha | Arnold Valley, Bell Hill, Inchbonnie, Kaiata Central, Marsden West, Taramakau |
| Pig survey | 2024/2025 | 23,000ha | Kaiata South, Marsden East |
| Aerial control | 2024/2025 | 13,300ha | Hohonu |
| Ground control | 2024/2025 | 4500ha | Inchbonnie, Rotomanu Buffer |
| Pig survey | 2025/2026 | 12,000ha | Moana North |
Map of 2023/2024 pest control operations
The proposed area for ground control is marked on the map in green, for aerial control in yellow and for wildlife surveillance in blue.
Interactive map showing Grey TB management area boundaries, Vector Control Zone, and proposed control areas.
Contacts
Vector Control Services manages eradication activities in the Grey TMA. Contact them directly if you have feedback or questions about upcoming operations.
Vector Control Services
Phone: 0508 141 268
Email: info@vcs.net.nz
Nearest local OSPRI office
OSPRI Greymouth office
PO Box 535
Greymouth 7840
Phone: 03 769 9098
Email: vectornsi@ospri.co.nztbfree.org.nz