The dairy industry is joining forces with environmental groups to build on work already underway to make New Zealand pest free.
Photo: 123rf
Five dairy companies, the Department of Conservation and the NEXT Foundation are partnering up to investigate ways to remove rats, stoats and possums from large areas of land.
Fonterra, Open Country, Synlait, Tatua and Westland Milk Products have committed $5 million to speed up the pace of research and development into pest control programmes.
NEXT Foundation chairman Chris Liddell said the dairy industry was especially keen to wipe out possums, which can carry the infectious life stock disease, bovine tuberculosis.
He said the partnership will allow further investigations into pest solutions like advanced lures, remote detection and deterrent technologies.
"We already have some interesting ideas on a peninsula down in the Marlborough Sounds, we're working on some ideas on protecting a large scale peninsula there and then stopping re-invasion through the use of technologies, so very early days but some promising signs already."
