Overview of process for amending the NPPA list

Proposals

Proposals for pest plants to be added to, or removed from, the Accord list can be put forward at any time, by filling in the proposal form available as a word document (77 KB) or a PDF (54 KB). Proposals will be held by Biosecurity New Zealand until there are enough to justify a review, unless there is some urgency involved with adding or removing the proposed species. At the time of a review, the rest of this process will be followed.

Risk assessments and regulatory impact statements developed

The Technical Advisory Group (TAG) then will complete a risk assessment for each proposed species, based on the evaluation criteria . The TAG will recommend whether the species should be included in the Accord list or not. Regulatory impact statements will also be prepared, to estimate the effect on industry if species were to be banned.

Public consultation

Biosecurity New Zealand will offer members of the public and stakeholders the opportunity to view and comment on the TAG’s assessments and advice, and provide additional information on potential impacts if any given species was to be banned (such as the costs to industry).

Final TAG recommendation

Biosecurity New Zealand will provide a summary and analysis of the submissions to the TAG for consideration, so the TAG can comment on any technical matters raised. This will also inform the TAG’s final recommendation to the Steering Group on whether the species should be included in the Accord list or not.

Steering Group decision

Once the TAG's advice, summary of submissions and regulatory impacts are complete, the Steering Group will consider the full assessment and decide on any changes to the Accord list¹. If the Steering Group decides there is not enough information on which to base a decision, it can delay the decision until more information is available.

To be included on the Accord list the pest plant must be declared an ‘unwanted organism’ under the Biosecurity Act 1993. Any species to be added that is not currently declared as an ‘unwanted organism’ will be submitted to the Chief Technical Officer who must decide whether to declare it as an unwanted organism.

⁽¹⁾ The decision-making process and criteria for the Steering Group were decided at the Steering Group meeting on 31 March 2006. This process and criteria is available on the Biosecurity New Zealand website.

Page last updated: 28 October 2008