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New Zealand Under Siege

A review of the management of biosecurity risks to the environment

'New Zealand is under siege from potentially damaging biological invaders.' says Dr Morgan Williams, Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment in his report released today on New Zealand's biosecurity system New Zealand Under Siege: A review of the management of biosecurity risks to the environment.

'Biosecurity is as strategically important as national security when it comes to protecting New Zealand's key economic and environmental assets' Dr Williams says. 'We need to improve our biosecurity system to deal with pests and diseases that are capable of causing damage to New Zealand’s unique natural resources and biotic economy.'

The aim of the Commissioner's report is to determine, from an environmental management perspective, whether the systems and processes in place are adequate to meet New Zealand's biosecurity needs. The Commissioner has identified gaps or weaknesses and highlighted strengths of the current system for managing biosecurity risks to the environment.

'My report makes recommendations to the Minister for Biosecurity and each of the biosecurity agencies on weaknesses in the system that need to be addressed', said Dr Williams.

'Our biosecurity system has traditionally focused on protecting New Zealand’s land-based primary production sectors from pests and diseases likely to affect our main export trade.'

'This is an important aspect of biosecurity, but our total economic wellbeing also depends to a large extent on the quality of New Zealand’s environment (including marine ecosystems), its biodiversity and other natural features that attract trade and tourism'.

'As trade and tourism increase so do the pathways and opportunities for unwanted organisms to arrive on our shores and threaten New Zealand’s native species and their habitats, not to mention the risk of introducing vector-borne human diseases not previously found in New Zealand'.

'I acknowledge in my report the commitments the Government has made this year to developing a Biosecurity Strategy, and the extra funding it has allocated to improving public awareness about biosecurity risks', said Dr Williams, 'but, in my opinion, the proposals do not go far enough. For example, biosecurity outcomes need to be more explicit, biosecurity monitoring and surveillance of indigenous flora and fauna needs to be improved, definite funding arrangements for biosecurity emergency management need to be established, the roles and functions of the Biosecurity Council need to be extensively revised, and the effectiveness of the Biosecurity Act 1993 needs to be assessed.'

ENDS

For more information contact:
Dr Morgan Williams,
Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment
Telephone (04) 471 1669

  Click to see the report summary