Biosecurity Act consultation

Summary

The Biosecurity Act provides the legal framework for New Zealand’s biosecurity system and helps keep unwanted pests and diseases out of the country. Proposals for changes made by MPI are grouped into six key topics:

1. system-wide issues,
2. funding and compensation,
3. border and imports,
4. readiness and response,
5. long-term management, and
6. surveillance and legislative interfaces.

Many changes will not directly impact you but are designed to strengthen the biosecurity system and streamline processes, such as removing administrative burdens.

What is DairyNZ doing?

DairyNZ is committed to supporting dairy farmers in doing their part to help protect New Zealand’s biosecurity system in a way that is fair and practical.

Our submission is focused on advocating on your behalf through three key areas of feedback that highlight:

1. Our vision for an integrated and sustainably funded biosecurity system,
2. Improvements to the Government Industry Agreement and pest management, and
3. Settings that support good biosecurity practices, including compensation settings and eligibility.

Our submission will be available online from 16 December 2024, following the conclusion of the consultation period on 13 December.

If you would like more information on the Act review, the public consultation, or how DairyNZ is advocating on your behalf, please contact us via BiosecurityTeam@dairynz.co.nz.

We will continue to keep this page updated as the consultation progresses.

Key areas of interest

We have reviewed the consultation documents and will be submitting on behalf of New Zealand dairy farmers. The proposals of highest interest to dairy farmers are:

• Changes to compensation provisions outlined in the Act, including:
  1. how non-compliance with NAIT impacts compensation eligibility (proposal 16),
  2. compensation entitlements and requirements set out in regulation (proposal 17),
  3. enabling upfront payment of future losses that have not yet been incurred (proposal 18), and
  4. stating which type of losses are and are not compensable, including removing some or all consequential losses from compensation (proposal 20).
• Some of the proposed changes to readiness and response sections of the Act, including
  1. modifying and growing the Government Industry Agreement to include pest management in addition to readiness and response and consolidate levies dairy farmer pay to fund the biosecurity system (proposal 36),
  2. creating a cross-industry organisation that would have the potential benefit of reducing fragmentation across the system and could be funded by dairy farmers through a single levy instead of multiple levies dairy farmers currently pay (proposal 37),
  3. adding a general biosecurity duty in the Act that would set out expectations on those that pose biosecurity risk (proposal 40),
  4. enabling biosecurity risk management requirements to be set out in regulations (proposal 41),
  5. requiring businesses to develop biosecurity risk management plans, similar to the Food Act (proposal 42).

More details (along with the full discussion documents and regulatory impact statements) are available on MPI’s consultation page: https://www.mpi.govt.nz/consultations/proposed-amendments-to-the-biosecurity-act/.

Background and history of engagement

The Biosecurity Act 1993 helps keep unwanted pests and diseases out of New Zealand and provides the legal framework for the country’s complex biosecurity system which underpins primary production, trade, and biodiversity.

The M. bovis response and independent review findings (among other responses and reviews) have highlighted areas of the biosecurity system that need strengthening.

DairyNZ would like to see a strengthened biosecurity system as a result of changes to the Biosecurity Act, with appropriate governance and sustainable funding mechanisms in place. This will enable consistent oversight for sustained biosecurity preparedness and risk management, so that sufficient preparation for biosecurity threats can be maintained, even in the event of biosecurity responses.