The Government has committed $30m a year until 2015 to manage bovine tuberculosis.
Agriculture Minister David Carter confirmed the funding as an integral part of the country’s pest management strategy.
Mr Carter says continued funding is crucial to maintain New Zealand’s world-leading status in TB management.
“New Zealand has made considerable progress in reducing the levels of bovine TB, but I’m mindful of experience in the early 1990s when the Government withdrew funding for TB and saw the rate rise quite quickly again.
"This Government’s not going to make that mistake."
David Carter says the combined efforts of the Crown, industry and local government will see the declining TB rate continue to fall.
"We need to continue the progress, and that requires commitment from industry, commitment from regional councils, and a very substantial cash contribution from central government.”
Total funding under the National Pest Management Strategy is $82m a year.
$45m comes from the beef, dairy and deer industries and $6m from regional councils.
Federated Farmers is welcoming the renewed commitment by the Government.
Pest animal management spokesperson Donald Aubrey says without the funding years of work in eradicating TB would be undone.
“All the work, over many years, would start to unravel."
"This is not for the light hearted, you have to give it your all, and had the Government not come to the party, it would have been extremely difficult."
Mr Aubrey says its important local government plays its role in managing the national TB problem.
"What we’ve found at Feds is there is quite a variance how councils view TB strategy. Some councils have remained very loyal to the programme, where others have remained less convinced.”
The Animal Health Board is just as happy.
Chief Executive William McCook says the money will be focused on the areas worst affected by TB.
“Certainly the West Coast is a problem area, but there are other areas all over the country, large areas in the central North Island, Wairarapa, through Canterbury, and also in Otago and Southland.
"There will be work right across the country, and in some places we certainly hope to eradicate TB completely from wildlife.”
