Ministry of Primary Industries taking the wrong risks

The Ministry of Primary Industries' shaky assurances that our existing border control procedures are enough to kerb potential fruit fly infestations are undermined by 'risk profiling' methods, the Green Party said today.

The Government's Direct Exit scheme, based on 'risk profiling' of airport passengers, enables those deemed a 'low risk' to biosecurity to bypass the x-ray process.

"This scheme has cut biosecurity resources in favour of perceived efficiency to save 8 minutes per passenger," said Green Party biosecurity and customs spokesman Steffan Browning.

"Direct Exit trials reveal that out of 1186 biosecurity hazards seized, 51 were from passengers profiled as 'low risk'.

"Of these, 17 were fruit fly host material."

The cost of a fruit fly outbreak from just a single piece of undeclared fruit has been estimated at $800 million in the first year.

"Balanced against an 8 minute increase in efficiency, it's a hard risk to justify."

Mr Browning will visit Mt Roskill in Auckland this weekend, where a Queensland fruit fly was discovered on Wednesday, to investigate the fruit fly's pathway into New Zealand.

"I am also concerned about fruit and vegetable imports from Queensland, which contain serious biosecurity threats, revealing lenient port-of-origin controls," said Mr Browning.