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Animal Pest ManagementĀraitanga Kararehe Orotā

We manage extensive animal pest control programmes. We can help with identifying and controlling pests.

Pest animals have a significant and adverse effect on the region's pasture, bush, and water quality and consequently on human health and the regional economy.

What we do?

We have regional control programmes for:

  • Possums: Through our possum control programme we have achieved low possum levels across Hawke's Bay.We manage extensive programmes to keep possums to the low levels we have now achieved in Hawke’s Bay.
  • Rooks: We have set a Rook Eradication Zones with the objective of eradicating rooks north of State Highway 5. 
  • Rabbits: We can support farmers in controlling rabbits.

Site specific programmes can be set up for some species under certain circumstances, including feral goats, deer, pigs, mustelids and feral cats.

The Regional Council’s Animal Pest Advisory Team has 50 years combined experience and is responsible for the day to day management of the Regional Council’s animal pest programmes and site specific control work, plus advisory services. Ground work is chiefly carried out by contractors.

Animal pest advisors from the Regional Council can help identify pests on your property, and provide advice on control.

Check out our pest hub for more information about pest and control methods.

What you can do to help

​We rely on Hawke's Bay residents to be our eyes and ears looking out and reporting unusual organisms so we can respond immediately. Whether you are a landowner, lifestyle property owner or urban resident, there are animal pests that will require dealing with at some time or another.

If you would like help with a pest control problem, or wish to report anything you think our Pest Control team should know about please visit our pest hub:

pest hub

Plant pests & management programmes

The animals listed below are classified as pests. Each animal falls in to one of the following management programmes:

  • Sustained control - To provide for ongoing control of the subject, or an organism being spread by the subject, to reduce its impact on values and spread onto other properties.
  • Site led - The subject, or an organism being spread by the subject that is capable of causing damage to a place is excluded or eradicated from that place, or is contained, reduced, or controlled within the place to an extent that protects the values of that place.
  • Eradication - To reduce the infestation level of the subject, or an organism being spread by the subject, to zero levels in an area in the short to medium term.
  • Exclusion - To prevent the establishment of the subject, or an organism being spread by the subject, that is present in New Zealand but not yet established in an area.
  • Progressive containment - To contain or reduce the geographic distribution of the subject, or an organism, being spread by the subject, to an area over time.

Find out more in our pest hub.

 

Possum Control Area (PCA) programme

Due to ongoing Cyclone Gabrielle recovery work in Hawke’s Bay, the move to Regional Council-led possum control has been put on hold.

Possum control remains the responsibility of landowners.

Read our latest update on the PCA programme

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