Consultative committee visits Auckland border biosecurity facilities


Rochelle Rutledge, Canine Operations Officer,
MAF Quarantine Service with detector dog Maia,
checking some of the tens of thousands of
international mail items that arrive each
day at Auckland's International Mail Centre.
Photo: Lindsay Vaughan, Tasman District Council.

Members of the Forest Biosecurity Consultative Committee (FBCC) got a taste of New Zealand’s frontline biosecurity when they spent a day last October with the staff from MAF Quarantine Service (MQS) and Biosecurity New Zealand (BNZ) at various Auckland border biosecurity facilities.

The committee members saw first hand how MQS staff successfully manage the numerous challenges they encounter each day – and the significant biosecurity risks remain only ‘risks’, thanks to these dedicated people armed with knowledge, experience and the backing of the entire biosecurity system.

The FBCC is a forum for BNZ to communicate with interested stakeholders on issues relevant to forest biosecurity. It is equally a forum for the stakeholders to provide feedback and advice to BNZ on forest biosecurity matters.

The committee members represent various government departments, private companies and commercial associations, local government and Crown research institutes (CRIs) with a shared interest in trees and forests – commercial, natural or urban. The FBCC meets several times a year to discuss issues of interest to forest biosecurity, for example, the economic, environmental, social and cultural risks and impacts of exotic forestry pests and diseases, and the interventions that can be made across the biosecurity system to mitigate those risks and impacts. Members also receive updates on forestry-related post-border interceptions, surveillance records and on forestry-related incursion responses.


Where do you start? BNZ
Senior Adviser Plant Response,
Ivan Veljkovic (right) shows
Robert Isbister, General
Manager Biosecurity at AgriQuality,
one of the many
thousands of pieces of
imported machinery that
must be thoroughly
inspected and decontaminated
if necessary before
they can be released.

The field trip was a chance for the committee members to get first-hand insight into how the biosecurity system operates at New Zealand’s border. The trip began with a short visit to MQS premises at the Ports of Auckland where Sharon Tohovaka, Survey Team Manager of BNZ’s Biosecurity Monitoring Group (BMG) presented on their activities. Initially the BMG was responsible for measuring ‘slippage’ (i.e. risk items entering New Zealand undetected) while working closely with MQS. Their scope has been widened to include an assessment of all aspects of the biosecurity system including import health standards, risk analyses, communications/awareness and enforcement.

The trip continued with a visit to the Auckland wharf, where FBCC members became aware of the sheer volume and complexity of operations that MQS officers face while inspecting thousands of imported vehicles, machinery, sea containers and break-bulk (non-containerised) goods. For example, in the 2005/06 financial year 251,313 sea containers were discharged at the Auckland wharf. About 31,193 imports of used vehicles and machinery were inspected at either the wharf or at transitional facilities within the Auckland region. Of these vehicles and machines, 83 percent (26,544) were found to require decontamination. This was done either at the wharf or at a transitional facility.

The group continued on with a short side-visit to Cornwall Park, where Simon Cook, an arborist with Auckland City Council, spoke about the dying oaks at the Park, an issue that the Council, supported by CRIs, is grappling with.

The next stop was the Auckland International Mail Centre where all international mail coming to New Zealand is cleared by Customs and MQS.

Tens of thousands of mail items are screened, inspected and cleared by a small team of quarantine officers each day. In 2005/06 alone, there were 43.5 million arrivals of mail items. During that year, the team, equipped with X-ray machines and dogs, detected biosecurity risk goods in 40,028 packets, parcels and letters.


Transpacific Industrial Solutions
staff member decontaminating
a container.

Kerry McGuire, MQS International Mail Centre Manager, escorted the group on a tour of the facility and showed them examples of the goods they regularly intercept. The forestry stakeholders were interested to learn that pine cones, arriving as Christmas decoration gifts, are one of the most regular finds between October and December. Kerry also talked about the containment methods used at the centre to ensure risk goods are managed safely.

The visit ended at the Fresh Produce Depot at the Auckland Biosecurity Centre near Auckland Airport. This team clears fresh produce arriving as air cargo. In 2005/06, over 8,000 fresh produce consignments weighing almost 9,000 tonnes came through Auckland Airport. Sonia Peters, Duty Manager Fresh Produce, and Paul Ruttley, Duty Manager Air Cargo, spoke about the work at the centre, the types of goods and associated risks that they encountered each day.

This visit was a good opportunity to highlight some of the numerous practical issues that MAF routinely deals with. The hard work of numerous people keeping our country open for travel and trade, yet protected from exotic pests and diseases was recognised and the challenges appreciated. The visit also underlined that in order to achieve the highest possible level of protection from harmful pests and diseases we need strong, high-quality partnerships among stakeholders interested in biosecurity, complemented by public vigilance.

Acknowledgement:

Many thanks to Christopher Waite from BNZ Pre-clearance for providing statistical data and comment.

For further information on the FBCC, its work and activities:

For further information on biosecurity border statistics:

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Page last updated: 30 April 2008