Westland TB Management Area (TMA)
Pest control work planned for Westland 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 Westland TMA
The Westland TMA covers 114,830 hectares between the Taramakau and Hokitika Rivers. The area includes Waimea Forest, Hokitika township and south to the Totara Lagoon, Kumara, Kawhaka, Arahura, Lake Kaniere, Kokatahi and Kowhitirangi.
The habitat is farmland interspersed with steep terraces and ridges covered with native and exotic forest and scrub. Altitudes range from sea level to 1450 metres.
History of TB and pest control in Westland
The Westland TMA has a long history of TB infection in cattle herds and local wildlife. We have historically found TB-infected wildlife along the Hokitika River, along the bush edge of Kokatahi, and in the Arahura Valley. Wildlife has infected many cattle herds in recent times.
We completed ground control in:
- Arahura, Hokitika, Hokitika South, Kokatahi West, Kowhitirangi West, Kumara Junction, Milltown North and Taipo in 2019/2020
- Arahura, Hokitika South, Kowhitirangi West, Kumara Junction, Milltown North and Kokatahi West in 2020/2021
- Kokatahi West, Kowhitirangi West, Milltown North and Taipo in 2021/2022
- Hokitika South, Kokatahi West, Taipo and Taipo South in 2022/2023.
We completed aerial control in:
- Blue Spur in 2011
- Hokitika West and Kokatahi in 2012
- Taipo South, Otira and Hochstetter in 2022.
We completed:
- possum population assessments in Taipo South, Turiwhate and Kowhitirangi in 2016/2017
- pig surveys in Kumara and Turiwhate in 2019/2020 and 2020/2021
- a pig survey in Milltown South, Kowhitirangi East and Turiwhate in 2024/2025.
Current state
As of June 2025, there are no infected herds in the Westland TMA.
If you're moving animals
The Westland 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 2025 to June 2026.
Dates and control methods for pest control operations in Westland 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 | 23,289ha | Arahura, Hokitika South, Taipo |
Map of 2025/2026 pest control operations
The proposed areas for ground control are marked on the map in green.
Interactive map showing Westland TB management area boundaries, Vector Control Zone, and proposed control areas.
Contacts
Supplejack Contracting Limited manages eradication activities in the Westland TMA. Contact them directly if you have feedback or questions about upcoming operations.
Supplejack Contracting Limited
Phone: 06 378 8414
Email: admin@supplejackcontracting.co.nz
OSPRI
PO Box 3412
Wellington 6140
Phone: 03 363 3090
Email: vectornsi@ospri.co.nz