Biosecurity in New Zealand FAQs
Submissions and MPI responses will be collated in a 'Review of Submissions' document. This document will be forwarded to all submitters.
Please include the following information in your submission:
Generally documents are made available for consultation for 30 working days after which they are finalised following consideration of submissions made during that time. Once finalised, they are posted to other relevant areas in this website with the review of submissions.
Submitters who supply commercially sensitive information need to clearly identify it as such, so that it can be handled securely and not released to the public.
The Government (represented by MAF) and primary production organisations with sufficient mandate to make decisions and commit resources on behalf of that industry.
Joint decision-making and resourcing could be formalised through an agreement (a contract, memorandum of understanding (MoU), or some combination of the two) between Government and primary industries. The agreements would cover readiness and responses for pests and diseases that directly impact on those industries.
It is not possible to predict what future incursions may occur, and the scale, duration, and resulting costs of future incursion responses. However, Appendix 11 of the discussion paper gives examples of the costs of past incursion responses that MAF has undertaken. Surveillance and contingency planning activities generally are less costly than responding to an incursion. Investing well in these activities would decrease the risk of a costly incursion response needing to be undertaken.
The public discussion paper is available at:
MAF Biosecurity New Zealand’s draft response policy is available at:
The dogs are used to detect items of quarantine concern. They are trained to search baggages, mail and cargo to locate undeclared or forgotten agricultural products.
Most of the handlers will take their operational dogs home as pets when they retire from active duties, however if the handlers are unable to keep their dogs then they are offered back to their ori
This can happen, firstly we may offer the dog back to the puppy walker. If that person is unable to have the dog we then find an approved suitable home for the dog.