“I tried to argue that I believe TB is on the rise in Waikato, that it was a short-sighted move and that I think it is going to be at the expense of the industry,” he said.
“I think we are coming into uncertain times with TB … we would be remiss to turn our backs on this issue right now and give no time to source the funding another way.”
The Waikato chairman of Federated Farmers’ Sharemilkers’ Employers’ Section has personal experience of TBfree NZ and its work, previously done by the Animal Health Board (AHB). When bovine TB was found in his herd last year about 140 cows had to be slaughtered.
But while he’s strongly opposed to the council’s decision to stop collecting money for TBfree NZ, he will not make a submission because if he does he will be disqualified from sitting on the committee considering all other submissions.
The council has pressed for several years for a review of the way funding for bovine TB control is collected.
“And I think they have a fair argument,” he said. “All I was trying to say was ‘not now’.”
The council’s intentions were signalled two years ago, when it adopted its 2012-22 long-term plan. It told the AHB then it would not collect the regional funding contribution beyond the 2013-14 financial year. It understood that the Government and TBfree NZ would review the funding mechanisms for the national programme before this year, but while under way that work hasn’t been completed.
The council believes regional funding would be better collected from the industries benefiting from bovine TB eradication, perhaps through a slaughtered stock levy or a commodity levy under the Biosecurity Act.
With only two TB-infected herds in Waikato, its long-term plan said, the importance of possum and other feral vector control was of lesser significance than in 1993-94 when the region had almost 300 infected herds
But TBfree NZ spokesman Mike Hansen said the current funding arrangement was based on an agreement between his agency, industry organisations, the Government and regional councils. If a council decided to not provide funding to the TB control programme, other bodies might discontinue their funding in the region. That would jeopardise the $60 million or so investment over the past decade, which has almost eradicated the disease from wild animal populations in Waikato. Halting the funding would allow possum numbers to increase to levels where bovine TB became a major risk to livestock.
All other regional councils agreed to provide their share of the TBfree NZ programme in the next financial year, so it was keen to continue working closely with the Waikato Regional Council to reach a solution.
The council’s draft long-term plan provided funding of $825,000 for the AHB for one year, a rate applying only to landowners on properties greater than 2ha. In the final plan, however, the sum was reduced to $650,000 a year and the collection period extended to two years to give the board time to shift to another funding mechanism. This would ensure the council’s own pest management programmes would continue to be funded to protect regional biodiversity and production goals.
The council’s 2014-15 draft budget, signed off for public consultation late in January, gave effect to the decisions incorporated in the long-term plan.
Councillors supported pest control and the eradication of bovine TB, but, except for Husband, resolved to stand firm and no longer collect regional contributions for TBfree NZ.
Waikato and other regional councils had been pressing TBfree NZ to review the funding mechanism for several years, council spokesman Stephen Ward said.
“TBfree NZ has given repeated assurances that a funding review will happen.”
But he said it was inappropriate for the council to collect money for work which does not necessarily meet regional priorities and over which it has no accountability for outcomes.
It would be more effective for farmers to have a direct funding relationship with TBfree NZ so they would have greater influence over spending of their money, he said. Federated Farmers would be better lobbying TBfree NZ to get its funding policy and priorities finalised, rather than lobbying the regional council.
The council believed the National Pest Management Strategy for TB, to which regional councils contribute 10% of the funding or about $6m, should be directed towards areas of infection/disease outbreaks.
But Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy wants the council to collect the funding for another year. The primary objective was to establish the feasibility of eradicating bovine TB from possums and without this investment, overall capability in the industry could be lost.
“I strongly encourage Waikato Regional Council to continue to fund the TB Plan for a further year,” he said.
“This would allow the funding review to be completed, which will look at options for sustainably funding it.”
Chris Lewis, Waikato Federated Farmers Dairy chairman, said the council has told ratepayers if it doesn’t collect the fund, the rates rise will be only 0.75%. If they do collect it, the rates rise will be 1.75%.
The federation suggested the council simply call it a fee collected on behalf of TBfree NZ but the council insists the legislation requires it is called a rate.
“We say they can call it what you want…just collect it,” Lewis said.
