A new Cattle Tick Eradication Action Plan will be delivered in New South Wales later this year, aiming to better protect the state’s livestock industry
The New South Wales government has announced it has invested $7 million to rebuild its Cattle Tick Program.
Last year, NSW agriculture minister Tara Moriarty appointed Dr Katherine Clift as the Independent Biosecurity Commissioner and requested her first priority be to identify opportunities to improve the management of cattle tick.
This followed feedback from stakeholders that the state’s Cattle Tick Program required a new approach to protecting the state’s livestock operations along the border with Queensland – where it is an established pest.
In developing her report, Clift undertook work with stakeholders in the beef and dairy industries and far north coast communities, reviewed the existing program, and has made 14 recommendations to improve the program.
The NSW government’s commitment to foundational actions for renewing and rebuilding the program includes the following:
- Commitment to eradication as the objective driving all program decisions and regulatory actions and deliver the first Cattle Tick Eradication Action Plan by September 30, 2026
- Deliver more support to farmers to better understand the options available to them for prevention and management of infestations and collaborate on improving the program
- Boost the program‘s access to veterinary resources and skills by transferring the Cattle Tick team to operate under the NSW Chief Veterinary Officer, ensuring its animal health focus, and boosting technical and compliance support from across DPIRD and Local Land Services
- Prioritising and expanding research and development focusing on chemical resistance and alternatives, diagnostics, emerging control tools, and monitoring technology.
“We will now move to rebuild this important livestock biosecurity program, and we will implement all 14 of her recommendations backed by significantly increased funding of $7 million,” Moriarty says.
“This is important work and we will get the program back on track for beef and dairy farmers whose livestock are endangered by cattle tick spreading from Queensland.”
