The regional council identified an opportunity to review its biosecurity plan and pest management strategies under the Government’s biosecurity law changes.
The timing of the pest management review aligned with the adoption of the new Canterbury Regional Pest Management Plan and changes to the rating mechanisms for biosecurity funding.
“It was all timely for a fresh look at how we do biosecurity in the region,” Lambie said.
A lot had changed since ECan was formed and over the past 30 years pest management had changed.
“Pest management in the past has very much focused on production pests, often with very significant biodiversity costs and the old system was very inflexible.
“Flexibility is needed to help farmer-landowners respond to not only legacy pests but also to be part of biosecurity efforts to prevent new pests from arriving and becoming established.
“There are some big legacy pest issues such as rabbits, wallabies, gorse and broom in the hill and high country, nassella tussock, which we have been managing since the 1920s and the more recent Chilean needle grass but we need to have good biosecurity systems in place to be dealing with new and sometimes now much bigger threats around biosecurity.”
Some pest management is tackled across all levels – community, regional and national.
“So what we need is a structure that allows these to all come together to find ways where communities can do things together on a collaborative and cost-effective basis across the whole system from community right through to national level.”
Lambie said while effective in their time, the 11 pest management liaison committees are outdated.
What is now proposed are four advisory groups covering north, central, south and Christchurch and Banks Peninsula.
Each group will have a mixed membership of regional and district councillors, runanga and community representatives.
Community members will apply for membership through an application process and selection will be done by a panel.
Community members will be financially reimbursed for their input.
Being part of biosecurity efforts to prevent new pests arriving and becoming established, including incursion response, will be a key role for the advisory groups.
The new groups will also be tasked with supporting the biosecurity programme including both production pests and pests that threaten biodiversity.
Lambie said the key aim is to provide a forum for overall pest management.
“We want to include local groups and organisations with an interest in biosecurity, biodiversity and pest management to share information.
“This is to increase the alignment of pest management in the community and enable opportunities to work together.”
Research institutions will be invited to share information on research and trials relevant to the biosecurity programme.
ECan has acknowledged getting the right people will be critical to the success of the biosecurity advisory groups.
“We are looking for people who have a range of biosecurity-biodiversity interests, skills, knowledge and experience who have good networks in the community, work collaboratively and are solution-focused and want to help achieve good outcomes for biosecurity in Canterbury.”
Feedback on the proposed changes is being collated now with the council to review and approve the proposed changes with consultation though public meetings, yet to be notified.
The groups will be established in July.
“It is absolutely critical we work together in a collective strength as landowners, council and right through to national organisations such as DOC, Land Information and the Ministry for Primary Industries.
“We need to look at the solution now that will give permanent success for farmers in managing biosecurity risk and pest management that will ultimately make the difference in the future,” Lambie said.
“I am really excited about the positive impact it will have on agriculture.”
