Terms of Reference for the Biosecurity Central/Regional Government Forum

Purpose of the Central/Regional Biosecurity Forum

1. The purpose of the Biosecurity Central/Regional Government (BCR) Forum is two-fold:

  • Improve coordination and collaboration across central and regional government biosecurity agencies; and
  • Provide support to the Director General of Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) that enables effective end-to-end management of the biosecurity system.

The forum will have a clear focus on matters at the boundaries of central and regional government responsibility.

2. The Director General of MAF has no direct control over the biosecurity activities of regional councils. Collegial relationships and cooperation across central and regional government agencies are fundamental to effective end-to-end management of the biosecurity system.

3. The ability of government as a whole to achieve its desired biosecurity outcomes can be strengthened through quality and common direction-setting, clear arrangements (accountabilities, roles, responsibilities and funding), better information flow and positive collaboration across central and regional government agencies.

4. The BCR forum will principally operate on a top down basis. It will set a work programme that addresses matters of key interest to its membership. That work programme will be coordinated/ managed by a technical working group.

Responsibilities

5. The BCR forum will focus on strategic issues including:

  • contributing to development of strategic direction for biosecurity, including identifying significant and emerging issues, specifying outcomes, establishing priorities, identifying research needs, and advising on resource requirements;
  • contributing to monitoring and improving biosecurity system performance, with particular focus on components that directly impact on regional government accountabilities;
  • monitoring the performance of key central/regional government initiatives (such as the National Pest Plant Accord);
  • identifying other key opportunities to improve coordination and alignment of work programmes across central and regional government;
  • identifying opportunities to improve or jointly develop capability, including opportunities to leverage off existing agency capabilities;
  • ensuring there are clear accountabilities, roles, responsibilities and funding arrangements across central and regional government, including any purchase of biosecurity services from regional councils;
  • identifying issues and improvements to the regulatory framework for biosecurity, where these facilitate the pest management activities of regional councils (e.g., provisions under the Biosecurity Act) or the Crown’s biosecurity activities (e.g., meeting provisions in the Resource Management Act to facilitate incursion response);
  • ensuring the biosecurity system appears seamless to the public and delivers clear and consistent messages; and

Accountabilities

6. The Director General of MAF will provide the leadership and coordination necessary to ensure effective biosecurity outcomes in the regions (i.e. ensure the legislative framework facilitates regional scale management, ensure accountabilities, roles, responsibilities and funding arrangements are clear etc.) As the chief executive is accountable for end-to-end biosecurity, the Director General of MAF will:

  • ensure the effective operation of the forum;
  • provide advice on behalf of the forum to relevant Ministers (this will not restrict any other chief executive from providing independent advice to their Minister or Mayor);
  • ensure information is provided and exchanged openly; and
  • ensure delivery of the biosecurity programme in line with agreed strategy.

7. The chief executives of the Ministry of Fisheries (MFish), the Ministry of Health (MoH), Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), the Department of Conservation (DOC) and regional councils will support the Director General of MAF. They will do this by contributing to the formulation of strategic goals for the biosecurity system, monitoring of systems performance against the outcomes specified, and work together to achieve the purpose of the forum.

8. The Director General of MAF may also purchase certain biosecurity services from the other central and regional government agencies.

Membership

9. The BCR forum will comprise the chief executives of MAF, MoH, MFish, LINZ, DOC and all regional council chief executives by way of general invitation. Chief executives may delegate a nominee to attend the forum in their absence.

Frequency and Reporting

10. The BCR forum will meet at least twice every year in the context of the Chief Executives Environment Forum, and will report back to all chief executives during the Chief Executives Environment Forum.

Secretariat

11. The secretariat for the BCR forum will be provided by the Biosecurity Strategic Unit.

12. All papers will be circulated at least one week prior to meetings. All agencies will have an opportunity to comment on substantive papers before they are circulated.

 

 

Page last updated: 30 April 2008