Pests and Diseases Overview

New Zealand has abundant food, fresh clean water, a strong productive sector and a healthy environment. The active lifestyle, social stability, and cultural richness are the envy of many.

Yet New Zealand is vulnerable. Pests and diseases brought into the country have the potential to seriously damage natural resources and threaten the economy.

For additional information, see:

• Pest and Diseases List
• The Absence of Specified Animal Diseases from New Zealand
• Country Freedom and Commodity Pest Lists
• National Pest Programmes

Biosecurity New Zealand has the lead role in preventing the importation of unwanted pests and diseases, and for controlling, managing or eradicating them should they arrive in the country.

The agency is charged with biosecurity protection of not only economic interests, but also:

• health,
• natural environment unique and special to New Zealand,
• native flora and fauna
• biodiversity, and
• marine areas.

Biosecurity New Zealand is passionate in its desire to keep New Zealand free of unwanted organisms, to prevent or reduce any damage these may cause should they occur, and to protect and preserve the land, water, industry and people of New Zealand.

Members of the public have an important role to play in surveillance – keeping watch around home and work for anything that is potentially an unwanted pest and disease.  If you suspect you have found an unwanted pest or disease please call 0800 80 99 66

In this section you will learn what to do if you find something, how to prepare a sample for laboratory testing and who to contact at Biosecurity New Zealand. There is also a wealth of information about unwanted pests and diseases – either those already here and that we are trying to control, or those we are determined to keep out.