Trans-Tasman biosecurity changes positive with a but

Federated Farmers is welcoming the closer integration on trans-Tasman flights of MAF Biosecurity New Zealand (Biosecurity NZ) with the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS), but raises important questions about the proposal.

“On the face of it, this seems an intelligent move to better integrate our service with that of our largest trading partner,” says John Hartnell, Federated Farmers biosecurity spokesperson

“Front line Biosecurity NZ staff are currently under a lot of pressure to process air passengers quickly. This pressure increases the chance of a risk item going undetected and that’s a bad thing for New Zealand’s largest and most important industries.

“The integration of AQIS and Biosecurity NZ will mean each country takes responsibility for pre-flight biosecurity screening. The results of each screening will be sent to the respective services, enabling risk assessments to be analysed while the plane is still airborne.

“This enables passengers with potential items of risk to be profiled and targeted on arrival. This should speed up the time it takes to cross the border and seems an intelligent example of trans-Tasman cooperation, though one with a few question marks.

“It would be a blind spot if items could still slip through in air cargo or, more likely, in carry-on.

“One of the biggest risk factors is footwear. A recent AgResearch study showed that 97 percent of soil samples on shoes contained fungi. Seeds were present in half the samples and of that, nearly three-quarters were deemed to be viable. That’s a big hole.

“There’s also the need to get assurance about what is meant by ‘assessing’, as that implies a value judgement and not the surety of an x-ray.

“Federated Farmers wants assurance that this is not a cost-cutting measure that will have a handful of operatives under massive pressure to analyse film. Federated Farmers view is that front line biosecuirty needs to be expanded and not cut.

“Federated Farmers is pleased to see fines increased from $200 to $400 but it’s a long way short of the $1,000 National had in its manifesto. With gross breaches of biosecurity, we would like to see the option of instant deportation too.

“Given the level of detail we have, these changes do seem sensible but we need to see the full proposal. Biosecurity is fundamental to every man, women and child in New Zealand,” Mr Hartnell concluded.