Notifiable Organisms

Notifiable organisms are generally limited to those organisms which cause, or have the potential to cause, serious harm to natural and physical resources or human health.

The list of notifiable organisms was last updated by the Biosecurity (Notifiable Organisms) Order 2006, and can be found here:

To be made a notifiable organism, an organism needs to:

  • have been determined as a notifiable organism by a chief technical officer; and
  • have been declared as a notifiable organism by Order in Council.

Duty to report notifiable organisms to MAF Biosecurity New Zealand

Section 46 of the Biosecurity Act 1993 requires that every person who:

  • suspects an organism that is a notifiable organism is present in any place in New Zealand; and
  • believes that it is not established in that place; and
  • believes that a chief technical officer is unaware of its presence in that place at that time -

must, without unreasonable delay, report the organisms' presence, or possible presence, to MAF Biosecurity New Zealand

Offence under the Biosecurity Act

Every person commits an offence when they fail or refuse to report a notifiable organism under section 46 of the Act.

Any person convicted of this offence is liable, if convicted on indictment -

  • In the case of an individual person: to imprisonment for a maximum period of five years, or a fine not exceeding $100,000, or both;
  • In the case of a corporation: to a fine not exceeding $200,000.

Page last updated: 6 November 2009