Have your say on Cattle Tick Program

NORTHERN Rivers farmers can now have their say on how the state manages cattle ticks, with NSW’s new Independent Biosecurity Commissioner calling for feedback on the century-old control program.

The cattle tick is one of the most serious external parasites affecting cattle in Australia, estimated by Meat and Livestock Australia to cost the industry more than $160 million each year.

Infested cattle lose condition, and heavy infestations can kill calves and adult cattle, with animals in poor condition especially vulnerable.

Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin said the tick program has been running for more than 100 years in the region to protect livestock in northeast NSW up to the Queensland border, where the tick is a well-known pest.

“I have been working with farmers, veterinarians, and farmers’ organisations to get attention for this program and am very pleased to see it is a priority for the new Biosecurity Commissioner, Dr Katherine Clift. I have had a good meeting with Dr Clift on the issue,” Saffin said.

“I thank the NSW Minister for Agriculture, Tara Moriarty, for making this the first key job Dr Clift has been tasked with, to determine the most effective approach for the future management of cattle tick in NSW.

“People can give their feedback at local cattle tick workshops, or through an online survey or written submission on the Commissioner’s website.”

For information on the consultation paper, survey, and how to make a submission, visit dpi.nsw.gov.au/dpi/biosecurity/independent-biosecurity-commissioner/advice-on-the-nsw-cattle-tick-program