Bovine tuberculosis

Managing Bovine Tuberculosis: Successes and Issues 237

15.3.7 Agreement on funding

The geographic extent of wildlife infection and
the attributable fraction of cattle infection in
these areas (Rockhill et al., 1998; Livingstone
et al., 2015a), will help to determine whether
wildlife is a major or minor factor affecting a
cattle TB programme. If wildlife is a major dis-
ease factor, then research into related epidemiol-
ogy and implementing measures to prevent
transmission of infection from wildlife to cattle
will add to programme costs. Gaining funding to
meet these costs is likely to require input from
government agencies, research establishments,
the farming industry and possibly wildlife inter-
est groups or managers. There is no simple for-
mula as to how funding should be shared, except
a commitment by all to contribute towards gain-
ing greater knowledge and to identify, evaluate
and agree on solutions to implement now, rather
than leaving it to future generations to resolve.
Where costly wildlife management is required,
then government may elect to contribute funds
on behalf of the wider public. Alternatively,
wildlife organizations and groups together with
farmer organizations and government may iden-
tify a means of shared funding, especially where
TB management will lead to overall benefits for
wildlife health, welfare and biodiversity. Before
entering into funding commitments, potential
funders will need to be satisfied that the pro-
gramme will meet clear and measurable goals
and objectives within an agreed funding term.
Legal mechanisms such as levies or rates may be
required to obtain funding from appropriately
targeted but unwilling funders or to prevent cost
avoidance by free-riding (Anonymous, 2016).

15.3.8 Programme policies

Given an enlarged TB programme that encom-
passes measures directed towards both wildlife
and cattle, policies should be based on the best
available technical, research and operational
knowledge and be deliverable within an agreed
plan and budget. Policies need to be clearly
enunciated, unambiguous, readily available and
compliant with legislation. Policies should also
meet the requirements of trading partners and

as far as possible, those of stakeholders, farmers,

animal welfare and wildlife interest groups. To

achieve this, policy development will need to be

part of a wide consultative process.

15.3.9 Communication and consultation

Once funding stakeholders and representatives

of wildlife organizations and other key affected

parties have reached agreement on the strategic

option, its objectives, policies, costs and funding,

these need to be communicated widely to those

parties likely to be affected by the programme

(New Zealand Government, 2016). These

include members of the stakeholder organiza-

tions, farmers and farming organizations,

wildlife organizations, government agencies,

politicians and the interested public. As identi-

fied previously, consultation with the main

groups who may be impacted by the strategy, its

policies or funding, should then follow. Consul-

tation should provide opportunities for written

or oral submissions on proposed strategy design,

policies, costs and methods of funding. Submis-

sions need to be reviewed by the stakeholders to

determine whether the proposed plan needs to

be revised to accommodate concerns raised, and

submitters should be provided with a response to

their concerns. Significant changes may involve

another planning iteration, possibly leading to

modified objectives, plans, costs and timelines. If

these would result in materially changed impacts

for groups or individuals, this would need to

be communicated and may necessitate another

round of consultation.

15.3.10 Implementation

Implementing a programme designed to achieve

strategic objectives of TB freedom for cattle and

regional freedom from TB in a wildlife mainte-

nance host, is a major long-term undertaking.

The effects on cattle TB incidence rates following

progressive wildlife management interventions

are likely to be dynamic, geographically variable

and multifactorial. Programme management

and administration will require the capability

to understand and interpret these unfolding