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Draft Facility Standard for Offshore Facilities Holding and Testing Plants for Planting

Have your say

From 5 July 2019 to 25 July 2019 the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) invites comment on the draft Facility Standard for Offshore Facilities Holding and Testing Plants for Planting. This standard sets out the proposed new structural and operational requirements for offshore facilities holding and testing plants for planting destined for export to New Zealand for further propagation.

Full details of the proposed changes are in the consultation document.

What's proposed?

Some key differences between the existing and proposed standards are as follows:

  • distinguishing between the activities of facilities that hold plants for planting and facilities that conduct tests on plant material for export to New Zealand;
  • requiring a documented system manual and operating procedures;
  • providing more specification around physical and operational requirements with respect to screenhouses and laboratories, including growing conditions, sampling, inspection and diagnostic tests; 
  • specifying reporting requirements for pest detections and non-conformances; and
  • providing guidance information to assist facilities to understand conformance requirements.

Note: the proposed new facility standard is intended to replace the existing standard "Accreditation of Offshore Plant Quarantine Facilities and Operators Standard"

Consultation documents

Making your submission

Email your feedback on the draft by 5 pm on 25 July 2019 to Plantimports@mpi.govt.nz

Make sure you include in your submission:

  • the title of the consultation document in the subject line of your email
  • your name and title (if applicable)
  • your organisation's name (if you're submitting on behalf of an organisation)
  • your contact details (for example, phone number, address and email).

While we prefer email, you can send your submission by post to:

Plant Imports
Ministry for Primary Industries
PO Box 2526
Wellington 6140
New Zealand

All submissions received by the closing date will be considered before the amended facility standard is issued. MPI may hold late submissions on file for consideration when the issued standard is next revised or reviewed.

Next steps

After we have considered all submissions, and any final changes to the facility standard are made, MPI will publish the facility standard as a final version.  

Submissions are public information

Any submission you make becomes public information. Anyone can ask for copies of all submissions under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA says we must make the information available, unless we have a good reason for withholding it. You can find those grounds in sections 6 and 9 of the OIA. Tell us if you think there are grounds to withhold specific information in your submission. Reasons might include, it's commercially sensitive or it's personal information. However, any decision MPI makes to withhold information can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may require the information be released.

Find out more