Overview

Strategy

'Biosecurity' is the protection of New Zealand's economy, environment and people's health from pests and diseases. It includes trying to prevent new pests and diseases arriving, and eradicating or controlling those already present.

New Zealand's first Biosecurity Strategy was published in August 2003 by the Biosecurity Council, and has been fully endorsed by the Government. The strategy proposed a new direction for New Zealand's biosecurity, to deal with the mounting pressures on the biosecurity system.

• The Biosecurity Strategy
• Biosecurity Surveillance Strategy
• Biosecurity Science Strategy
• Biosecurity library

Consultation

Before making policy recommendations or exercising its decision-making powers, Biosecurity New Zealand actively seeks information and views from affected parties. The consultation process aims for a consensus, though 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.

• Current consultation documents
• Archived documents