NSW Government launches $21m cattle tick management strategy

The New South Wales government has launched a $21 million cattle tick management strategy to be implemented over three financial years starting in 2026/27. Announced by Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty, the plan shifts from a property-based reporting model to a “whole-of-landscape” approach. This new method categorizes regions into high, medium, and low-risk zones, focusing resources on high and medium-risk areas such as the Tweed and Kyogle shires near the Queensland border.

The initiative aims to reduce the number of infested properties in the Northern Rivers from the current 867 down to between 100 and 200. The strategy includes independent regional surveys, upgraded treatment schemes, and potential area-wide movement controls to prevent the spread of ticks carrying the Babesia parasite, which causes tick fever in livestock.

While the announcement was welcomed by some, cattle producers have expressed caution. Craig Huff, chair of the NSW Farmers Far North Coast branch, suggested that the funding may need to double to be truly effective, noting that previous programs were unable to contain the growing infestation. Producers have called for more specific details regarding the implementation of the landscape-level actions.