Cattle tick doesn’t stop at the fenceline, and neither will the fight against it. A new State Government strategy launched at Wollongbar will target whole areas of the Northern Rivers, not just individual farms.
Minister for Agriculture Tara Moriarty released the NSW Cattle Tick Strategy at the Wollongbar Ag Institute on Friday.
The Government will spend $21 million on cattle tick management over the three financial years from 2026/27. That includes $7 million announced earlier this year to rebuild the NSW Cattle Tick Program to better meet the needs of farmers in northern NSW.
The Government says years of inaction under the former National-Liberal Government allowed the problem to grow.
Until now, the program only focused on properties that self-reported cattle tick. The Independent Biosecurity Commissioner found that was not an effective way to wipe the pest out of NSW.
Instead, the new plan divides NSW into high, medium, and low-risk areas, with resources focused on the high and medium-risk zones.
Over the next six years, the strategy aims to reduce the number of cattle tick-infested properties in the Northern Rivers and shrink the area containing them.
Producers will be supported with a targeted and transparent approach to surveillance, treatment, and on-ground response.
Regions will be surveyed to determine independently whether cattle tick is found across an area. Where needed, area-wide movement controls will be put in place to stop cattle tick spreading from infested properties.
Upgraded treatment schemes will then be rolled out to remove cattle tick from infested properties and areas.
“The coming year has a strong focus on improving our understanding of cattle tick distribution, strengthening awareness and education, plus boost tracing and stakeholder engagement,” Minister Moriarty said.
The strategy was developed with feedback from beef and dairy industry stakeholders, technical experts, and far north coast communities.
“The Cattle Tick Strategy is built upon the important review and recommendations from the Independent Biosecurity Commissioner, and the Technical Advisory Group, which includes epidemiologists, veterinarians and other specialists, and Cattle Tick Consultative Committee, which offers practical insights from farmers and the community.”
The cattle tick team will work with the Cattle Tick Consultative Committee and the Technical Advisory Group to review treatment arrangements and prepare regulatory and operational frameworks for the program.
Minister Moriarty took aim at the previous government.
“This work to boost the cattle tick program underpins our Government’s commitment to eradication, a goal the former National Liberal Government let drop due to mismanagement and poor funding,” she said.
“This important work is firmly focused on making sure the program is working to protect the beef and dairy farmers in NSW with the latest biosecurity management practices and the required resources.”
The strategy is part of the Government’s work to protect the state’s agricultural industries, including more than $1 billion invested in biosecurity measures.
Something going on in your part of the North Coast people should know about? Let us know by emailing newsdesk@nctimes.com.au