On-farm biosecurity

It's important to practice good biosecurity hygiene on other people's farms. Simple steps to take when visiting another farm include:

1. Assessing the risk:

• Discuss any biosecurity requirements and risks prior to your visit.
• Arrange to use an on-site farm vehicle if a site is high risk (e.g. a known disease or argentine ants).
• Be extra cautious when travelling to nurseries, depots, or islands as they pose a high risk.

2. Planning your day:

• If you are visiting more than one property, visit the lowest risk site first and the highest risk site last.
• Assess what you need to take onto each property, including appropriate personal protective equipment for your task.

3. Being hygienic:

• Before visiting a property, clean and dry your gear.
• Check your vehicle, equipment and personal protective equipment for dirt or seeds.
• Keep your vehicle away from high risk areas (e.g. stock yards, dairy sheds and weed infestations).
• Always wash-down your vehicle and any equipment.

4. Before leaving:

• Check your vehicle, boots and gear.
• Wash-down in an appropriate area.

There are simple steps you can take to manage the risks posed by having other people visit your farm. These include:

• One clear entry point - This gives you more control about who and what comes onto your farm.
• Signage - This reminds visitors that they are entering your farm, and can help let them know what to expect. Make sure signs are visible and easy to follow, and include the name and number of the farm owner or manager.
• Sign-in form for visitors - This keeps a record of who has visited, when they arrived, and when they left.
• Disinfection station - Provide a spot for visitors to scrub down their boots and gear on arrival. This could include hand sanitiser, a scrubbing brush, water, disinfectant spray, and a footbath. This is a crucial step to prevent the spread of weeds and disease.
• Establishing procedures - A farm procedure for where visitors can go and what activities they can do should be well communicated with farm staff.
• Creating biosecurity zones - Use the red, orange, green system to map out zones on your farm.  

Dairy NZ has a great resource for managing visits to your own farm.

There are a wide range of pest animals that we need to control in our region; in forests, reserves, farms and gardens.  These pest animals kill or compete with native species, damage trees and crops, and spread disease.

We undertake direct control of some pests in targeted areas, while others are best managed by people on their own properties.

Find out more about pest animals in our region

Pest plants threaten our regions' parks and reserves, and take over our productive land. They can cause serious harm to our environment, along with health risks to people, and threaten agricultural industries.

We undertake direct control of targeted pest plants in specific areas, while others need to be managed by people on their own properties.

Find out more about pest plants in our region

Diseases that can affect your crops or stock are important to manage through good on-farm hygiene.

Mycoplasma Bovis - Mycoplasma bovis (M bovis) is a bacteria that can cause serious problems in cattle. The disease usually spreads through contact between animals, but it can survive outside the animal for up to 50 days, which means people can spread it by moving from one property to another.

More information on Mycoplasma Bovis