| 75 RURAL SERVICES » High Country Contracting Ltd A few poison runs can slash rabbit count Every day brings new and amazing environments to the High Country Contracting team. Lindy Andrews High Country Contracting’s (HCC’s) Kuran Ireland pulls no punches, “New Zealand’s primary industry is under an alarming amount of financial pressure.” A key contributor to that pressure is lost on-farm productivity caused by pest species. Ireland is supported in his view by a 2020 Ministry for Primary Industries report, which showed a staggering increase in output losses - the estimated cost of primary sector production losses from pests - from $1.5 billion in 2009, to over $4.3 billion in 2020. “If you’re growing feed, you want a return on it,” Ireland says. “If you’ve got non-profit species on your property, they’re consuming feed worth thousands that should be producing financial returns.” One dairy farmer recently estimated that an out-of-control rabbit population was costing him a crippling tens of thousands of dollars each year in lost pasture. Just two or three poison runs by HCC team members can quickly slash the rabbit count from 1,000 to a manageable few. “From there on, that’s easily maintained by the property owner with the odd night shoot,” Ireland points out. As HCC’s Business Manager, Ireland juggles impressive business acumen with agile thinking and heading a specialist pest control team of 50. From offices in Timaru, Twizel and Mosgiel, HCC works across the South Island. The team is passionate about the role it plays in supporting farmers, councils, the Defence Force, Department of Conservation, project managers, forestry owners and many other clients towards a profitable predator-free, TB-free future. While TB is relatively well controlled, there’s no room for complacency when it comes to our export markets, he adds. “New Zealand’s value to the world in terms of protein is a disease-free protein, which should enable premium prices for our farmers.” Whether it’s deer, rabbits, pigs, possums, wallabies, wilding pines or mustelids – every property potentially has a different problem affecting profitability. HCC’s pest control methodologies are tailored to target specific regional/on-farm needs and deliver immediate and measurable returns on investment, with pre and post project monitoring as required. The HCC team’s enthusiasm for the job goes beyond pest control. Acutely aware of the dire effects of pests on our wider biodiversity, they are sometimes called in to move populations of geckos and other at-risk wildlife to places of safety. PROUD SUPPORTERS OF HIGH COUNTRY CONTRACTING info@mackenziehelicopters.com 021 479 285 EXTRAORDINARY Based in Lake Tekapo, Mackenzie Helicopters offers a wide range of commercial aerial services and unforgettable flight experiences. EXPERIENCE THE “Pest control is an ever-evolving industry,” Ireland says. “I like to think we make a real difference to primary industry and the next generation, by preserving our native flora and fauna.” That means always staying one step ahead, by growing HCC’s skilled team of professionals, having the right equipment and the latest technologies, including drones, which he describes as “bloody amazing” tools. Ireland gets a real kick out of the job. Every day brings new and amazing environments, fresh faces and more ripper work stories. Life’s busy, so he’s keen to welcome more young men and women into the HCC workforce. If you or someone you know has a love of the great Kiwi outdoors and wants a job that’s different every day, get in touch.
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