The world-first attempt to eradicate the disease, which can cause lameness, mastitis and abortions in cows, began after it was first detected in a South Canterbury farm in 2017.

Since then, the disease has been confirmed and cleared from 271 properties, with more than 176,000 cattle culled.

Minister of Agriculture Damien O'Connor said no working farms we currently infected - the lone property was a large beef-feed lot, and work to clear it will begin later this year.

He marked the milestone as he announced $110.9m funding for biosecurity efforts.

O'Connor said $68m would go into continuing the momentum of M. bovis eradication efforts.

"Though we can't rule out occasional finds elsewhere, we think it's the right time to consider the future framework for the M. bovis Eradication Programme.

"Our partners, including the Ministry for Primary Industries, are working on a transition of the M. bovis Eradication Programme to an agency under a National Pest Management Plan (NPMP) and will provide me with a proposal for consideration.

"We are at an important juncture. We are aiming to move from delimiting - controlling the last known pockets of the disease - to provisional absence. This will be followed by significant surveillance testing of herds around the country to provide assurance there are no undetected pockets of disease."

Of the money announced today, $42.9m would cover biosecurity measures offshore, at the border and domestically, as well as managing incursions in the country, O'Connor said.

"The world is reopening from the pandemic. With increased travel alongside a warming climate we face challenges from pests and diseases, which requires further investments to strengthen our biosecurity system."

Minister of Agriculture Damien O'Connor Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

"This support is aimed at protecting biodiversity, bolstering biosecurity, improving marine system resilience, and enabling climate resilience. A strong biosecurity system helps protect the productivity of New Zealand's most important export sector and guard our taonga species.

"New Zealand has a world-class biosecurity system, but we need to ensure we can meet the challenges presented by increased cargo freight, and from pests like the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug."

O'Connor said biosecurity protections were based on a multi-layered system to reduce risk and manage incursions when pests arrived.

New Zealand's flora, fauna and livestock were the foundations of the primary sector, economy, rural communities and economic security - and biosecurity needed to be strengthened to protect it, he said.

Republished by Arrangement