Transitional Facility Requirements

To treat imported goods, exported plant or forest produce you must be approved to a particular Biosecurity New Zealand Standard.

Requirements for Places of First Arrival, Conveyances and Transitional Facilities

• Requirement for Transitional Facilities for Sea Containers 
• 152.04.03f MAF Regulatory Authority Facility And Operator Standard - Requirements For Holding And Processing Facilities (Class: Transitional Facilities) For Uncleared Risk Goods
• 152.04.03s Requirements for Transitional Facility and Operator Approval and Monitoring

These requirements for a transitional facility and operator details minimum requirements for approval and monitoring of transitional facilities for holding, inspecting, treating or destruction and disposal of uncleared risk goods imported into New Zealand. 

You can also search for other Import Health Standards which may be relevant to your operation.

Risk Goods

• Approval of Suppliers Providing Treatment of Imported Risk Goods and Forestry/Plant Related Material for Export (97 Kb). It has the short name BMG-STD-TREAT.
• Approved Biosecurity Treatments for Risk Goods Directed for Treatement
• MAF Regulatory Authority Facility and Operator Standard-Requirements For Holding And Processing Facilities (Class: Transitional Facilities) For Uncleared Risk Goods which gives transitional facility requirements for the following commodities:
  • general goods awaiting inspection to ascertain whether they are or contain risk goods
  • stored products (eg. herbs, spices, nuts)
  • seeds
  • fresh produce
  • cars and car parts
  • personal effects
  • small amounts of plant material for analysis or study not known to harbour regulated
  • or quarantine pests.

Forms 

The following forms are required when applying for Transitional or Containment facility and Operator approval. These forms can be used for approvals under all MAFBNZ Facility Standards, and once completed, should be sent to a MAF Biosecurity Officer at an address on the form. For Inquiries phone the Facility Approval Group on 09 909 3030.

• Application for Approval of a Facility (88 Kb)
• Application for Approval of a Facility Operator (90 Kb)
• Consent to Disclosure of Information (68 Kb)
• Quarantine Declaration (6 Kb)
• Temporary Sea Container Transitional Facilities Application Form (31 Kb)

These Transfer Request forms are required when applying to move risk goods or micro-organisms post border or for export.

• Transfer Request for Zoo Animals (94 Kb)
• Transfer Request for Export into Containment Living Modified Organisms (94 Kb)
• Transfer Request for Biologicals Animal Products (98 Kb)
• Transfer Request for Cell Cultures, Genetically Modified Organisms and New Organisms (116 Kb)
• Transfer Request for Herbaria (120 Kb)

Treatment

If goods need to be treated at a transitional facility, you can apply for treatment supplier status and view the facility's requirements. Additional information is available in the Treatment and Treatment Providers section.

• Temporary Sea Container Transitional Facilities Procedures (132 Kb)
• Temporary Sea Container Transitional Facilities Application Form (31 Kb)
• See the quarantine declaration (6 Kb) to accompany containers to New Zealand
• Standard for incineration or steam sterilisation of quarantine refuse.
• A number of disinfectants have been approved by MAF for sterilisation facilities.
• Suitable Aerosol Sprays for Sea Container Facilities

The following steps will apply :

1. The person or operation supplying the treatment (known as "the supplier") is responsible for documenting systems and procedures to meet the requirements of the Standard. Biosecurity New Zealand (BNZ) is to be notified by the supplier sending a completed application stating the treatment types and selected verification agency to BNZ.
2. The supplier contracts an approved evaluator to undertake an evaluation of the supplier's system for compliance to the requirements of the Standard.
   The evaluation will involve a standard desk-top assessment and an on-site system evaluation assessment with the supplier ensuring the
   documentation is complete and is likely to deliver services fit for the
   intended scope.  An on-site assessment is useful to highlight any design and competency issues which need to be resolved. Further on-site assessment of the treatment supplier's system and operator(s) will be undertaken as part of the ongoing audit process.

The Evaluator will make at least three consecutive (on separate dates) and successful (no major or critical non-compliances) surveillance audits for each treatment type and location.

1. Once satisfied the supplier's system is compliant with the requirements of the Standard, the evaluator will submit an evaluation report which includes the scope and recommendation for approval of the supplier's system (including technicians), along with a copy of the supplier's system and application fee to BNZ.
2. BNZ will process the evaluator's recommendation and the supplier's application within 10 working days if possible. The operator will be advised from the evaluator of any amendments required after processing the evaluation.
   The supplier's application will be held by BNZ until the approval is
   completed.
   Note: Any supplier's application not receiving MAF approval within 12 months of the application date will expire and the supplier will be required to re-apply and submit another application fee.
3. Where significant changes have been made to the supplier's system, the evaluator is required to undertake a
   re-assessment within 10 days of receiving the updated supplier's
   system.
4. The operator is responsible for meeting the costs of the evaluator's time involved in assessing the supplier's system (including the initial assessment and any reassessments).