How we deliver our biosecurity work
Biosecurity in Waitaha Canterbury is focused on protecting our region’s economy, cultural values, health, production, recreational spaces and indigenous biodiversity from pests and invasive organisms.
Our biosecurity programme aims to implement effective biosecurity by balancing proactive, early intervention activities, with ongoing management programmes to stop established pests from spreading further.
Our biosecurity programme is ‘pest-led’. This means we determine which invasive organisms are of most benefit to our region to manage, and do so regardless of where they are, and who or what values they are impacting.
Our work programmes that make up the biosecurity programme
Our biosecurity programme is made up of several workstreams aimed at guiding both pest management and increasing the community’s capacity to prevent spread.
Awareness and engagement
Raising awareness about biosecurity issues and engaging the community with our pest programmes is crucial to long-term success. We use a range of tactics to help bridge the gap between our community and the work we deliver in biosecurity. The team organises an annual awareness campaign for new and emerging threats and provide education and engagement activities to promote biosecurity issues. We utilise stakeholder networks to deliver key messages and aim to be present at a range of events, all with the intention to build the community’s capacity to recognise and manage potential threats.
Canterbury’s Biosecurity Advisory Groups also play an important role in helping us engage with our community. The groups provide us with guidance and advice on pest issues, they also raise concerns about potential threats and act as champions for biosecurity.
Surveillance, investigations and pathway management
Biosecurity teams undertake targeted surveillance activities in areas prone to pest establishment. This is consistent with our future focussed approach aimed at finding pests as early as possible to give us the best possible chance to manage them effectively. In such a large region, being strategic is key, so our teams rely on investigation activities to help. These include following potential leads, identifying pest pathways and potential vectors for spread, and utilising tools such as climatic suitability modelling to inform where to look.
Partnerships (including national programmes)
Working in partnership with others and utilising collective resources is vital to maximising the output of our biosecurity programme. An active and engaged community built on a network of established relationships is essential for us to make progress in a region the size of Canterbury. Partnerships exist at different levels, from national programmes in collaboration with government agencies to partnerships with individuals or community groups operating locally.
Canterbury Regional Pest Management Plan: Regulation and project delivery
The Canterbury Regional Pest Management Plan (CRPMP) provides a framework for managing existing and emerging pest threats to prevent damage to biodiversity, production, recreation, and cultural values. The pests within the plan are managed under five programmes – exclusion, eradication, progressive containment, sustained control and site lead. They each come with their objectives to exclude, eradicate, progressively reduce, or keep pests at current levels.
The CRPMP is a publicly consulted, regulatory document under the Biosecurity Act 1993.
Policy, strategy and planning
We prepare the CRPMP through a consultative planning process. The plan must be reviewed every 10 years. Environment Canterbury may also review the plan or a part of the plan at any time if it believes that circumstances or management objectives have changed significantly.
As well as delivering our current biosecurity programme, our staff look ahead and lay the foundations for future biosecurity. Our work includes increasing coordination between regional councils, building partnerships to deliver better biosecurity outcomes, working with the local government sector to influence biosecurity policy and advocate for biosecurity nationally, and investigating options to develop our programme in response to risks and opportunities (such as climate change and managing marine and freshwater pathways).
Data collection, monitoring and reporting
Data collection, monitoring and reporting are critical activities undertaken to support decision-making for our biosecurity programme. This information is collated annually and feeds directly into all parts of the biosecurity programme. Having quality information helps inform decision-making, determine priorities and track progress towards long-term objectives.
Research and development
Biosecurity staff work closely with Crown Research Institutes (CRI’s) and technology development companies to identify and fill knowledge gaps, and develop new field tools, and systems to support delivery and decision-making. This work collectively acts to enhance Environment Canterbury’s ability to make progress with managing target species and to meet emerging priorities.
Different types of pests and how they’re managed
In Waitaha/Canterbury we’re faced with a wide range of pest types, each with the ability to negatively impact our region in different ways so require a variety of techniques to help manage their numbers.
Terrestrial plants and animals
Terrestrial plants form the main component of our current pest management programmes, due to their sheer volume and severe potential long-term impacts. Plant pests are managed differently depending on their characteristics and distribution.
Those species in low numbers and with limited distribution are primarily managed by us, while more widespread plants and animals are primarily managed by land occupiers with support from us in the form of education and advice.
There are few terrestrial animals declared as pests under the Canterbury Regional Pest Management Plan. These include wallabies, rabbits, feral goats and rooks.
Bennett’s Wallabies are managed under the Tipu Mātoro National Wallaby Eradication Programme. Wilding pines are managed by the National Wilding Conifer Control Programme (NWCCP).
Aquatic plants and animals
Aquatic plants often go unnoticed and can be difficult to manage. We manage the control of some freshwater plant species that pose a significant threat to the health of our rivers and lakes. These programmes are often delivered in partnership with other entities who also have a vested interest in the health of the affected waterbodies. A variety of techniques are employed to control freshwater pest plants, including mechanical removal and herbicide application. Consents or additional controls regulated by the Environmental Protection Authority are commonly required to help guide this work.
Freshwater fish species pose a significant threat to many of the pristine waterways of the South Island. Pest fish are a significant issue in parts of the North Island, where they drastically alter freshwater environments and are costly to manage. We work with the Department of Conservation to respond to potential sightings of pest fish such as koi carp
In addition to control and surveillance activities, we lead the Check Clean Dry programme in Waitaha/Canterbury on behalf of the NZ Freshwater Biosecurity Partnership. This programme is aimed at raising awareness around freshwater pests and encouraging people to be responsible when moving between waterways, by undertaking simple behaviours not to spread aquatic pest plants or animals. Marine pests such as Mediterranean fan worms and undaria are another distinct challenge.
Because many of these are introduced via visitors to our region, the key focus for our programme regarding marine biosecurity is pathway management. Inter-regional and international movements of vessels pose a significant threat and some pesty species have already been introduced to Waitaha/Canterbury.
Collaboration is key, working with port authorities, local Rūnanga and teams in other regions to stay informed, raise awareness and put actions in place to check for and minimise the potential for spread.
Investing in future pest management
We're investing in future-focussed pest management to try and limit:
- the introduction of new pests to the region
- the spread of pests and invasive organisms within the region
- the potential for existing pests in low densities to spread and become widespread issues
We are also building the capacity of the community to undertake surveillance activities and become active participants in helping protect our region.