Consultation

Before making policy recommendations or exercising its decision-making powers, Biosecurity New Zealand actively seeks information and views from affected parties (stakeholders).

• Current consultation documents
• Archived documents

The consultation process

The consultation process aims for a consensus, but this will not always be possible.

The purposes of consultation are to ensure that:

• Stakeholders have information on policies being considered by Government and the opportunity to express their views (as part of an on-going relationship between the two groups); and,
• Decision-makers have information on the potential impacts of proposed policy on stakeholders, and the views of the stakeholders on those proposals.

The principles of consultation require that it be genuine, adequately informing, allow sufficient time, be open minded and have due regard to matters raised.

This page contains links to documents currently under consultation.

Stakeholders are generally given 30 working days to make submissions on matters raised in the documents.

Biosecurity New Zealand then reviews the submissions and makes decisions or recommendations to the Government, having due regard for the matters raised in submissions.

Finalised documents, policies and decisions are then posted to other relevant areas of this website, along with the review of submissions.

Making a submission

Submissions are a valuable means of contributing to decision-making through raising issues and providing relevant information.

MAF encourages respondents to forward comments electronically.

Please include the following information in your submission:

• Your name and title, postal address, telephone and fax numbers.
• Your organisation, if applicable.

Please note that your submission is public information. Submissions may be the subject of requests for information under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA specifies that information is to be made available to requesters unless there are sufficient grounds for withholding it, as set out in the OIA. Submitters may wish to indicate grounds for withholding specific information contained in their submission, such as when the information is commercially sensitive or if they wish personal information to be withheld. Any decision to withhold information requested under the OIA is reviewable by the Ombudsman.

How to write a submission

While there is no set format that a submission should take, you should aim to present your submission in a way that is both ordered and easy to read. All submissions must be in writing. Wherever possible, please reference the appropriate titles and sections shown in the documents.

Late submissions

Submissions received after the closing date may be held on file for consideration when the issued document is next revised or reviewed. Please try to have your submission in on time. If you notify us, in advance, with the reason why your submission may be late, a brief submission extension may be provided, depending on the circumstances.

Frequently Asked Questions