Strategy

New Zealand's first Biosecurity Strategy (Tiakina Aotearoa – Protect New Zealand: The Biosecurity Strategy for New Zealand) was published in August 2003 by the Biosecurity Council, and has been fully endorsed by the Government. The strategy proposed a new direction for New Zealand's biosecurity, to deal with the mounting pressures on the biosecurity system.

Progress against Strategy

In August 2003, the Government agreed that the Biosecurity Strategy’s recommendations should form the basis for a five year improvement to New Zealand’s biosecurity system. The Strategy highlighted inadequate strategic capability in the biosecurity system, and stressed the need for this capability to be added in a way which was demonstrably “whole of system”.

A Biosecurity Strategic Unit was established with people drawn from the four current biosecurity agencies and reporting directly to MAF’s Director-General. MAF also assembled a team to design a biosecurity system contributing to broader environmental, economic and social outcomes, and more integrated and coordinated than previous systems. Representatives from all the biosecurity agencies and other Government ministries were involved.

In May 2004, MAF confirmed its intention to restructure its Biosecurity Authority on a “point of intervention” approach based on three streams of activity – pre-clearance, post-clearance and cross system integration. The restructuring led to the formation of Biosecurity New Zealand, which started operation on 1 November 2004.

The establishment of MAF Biosecurity New Zealand saw the consolidation of some central government biosecurity services within MAF. Other services will continue to be delivered by agencies such as the Department of Conservation , Ministry of Health and Land Information New Zealand .

Page last updated: 16 October 2008