increase font size
Minister for Biosecurity Damien O’Connor wants every New Zealander to help build a biosecurity team of 4.7 million as part of the Ko Tātou This Is Us campaign.
Ko Tātou This Is Us is an independent biosecurity brand that aims to connect all of us with the many ways we can help protect Aotearoa from pests and diseases.
“With biosecurity in the spotlight as we attempt to eradicate Mycoplasma bovis, turn away ships to keep the Brown marmorated stink bug out of New Zealand, and deal with the emergence and spread of Myrtle rust and Kauri dieback, now is the time for every New Zealander to stand up and take action on biosecurity,” O’Connor said.
“Biosecurity keeps safe everything that shapes our unique way of life, from the great outdoors we farm, fish, hunt and play in to the biodiversity of our unique ecosystems.”
The campaign includes a beautiful and thought-provoking video, featuring a kuia looking back on her life and urging New Zealanders to understand that everything that shapes our way of life is finite and fragile and that we must all play our part in protecting it from pests and diseases.
It also focuses on appropriate biosecurity behaviours and actions in three core areas: moving people and goods, vigilance and readiness, and pest and disease control.
O’Connor thanked those who have shared their own personal connection to biosecurity as part of this campaign, such as Pro XC Mountain Bike racer and Commonwealth Games Gold medallist Anton Cooper, owner of the largest cooking school in Australasia Sachie Nomura, and Big Angry Fish hosts Milan Radonich and Nathan O’Hearn.
“Together we can make a difference. Together we can keep Aotearoa safe from pests and diseases. Ko Tātou This Is Us,” O’Connor said.
Testing confirms H5 bird flu in a single northern giant petrel, found dead on a remote Cape Palliser beach in the Wairarapa, says Dr Mary van Andel, the Ministry for Primary Industries' (MPI) Chief Veterinary Officer.
Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) is sometimes viewed as a dairy industry issue, but the reality is that the disease can have serious consequences for beef breeding herds as well.
Four years since it was first detected in New Zealand, researchers and growers now know much more about management of maize pest fall armyworm (FAW).
The apple sector is working with the Government to unlock access to two key markets that could bring millions in revenue for apple growers.
OPINION: Dairy farmers know better than anyone that change is constant.
An Auckland gelato shop and an established New Zealand ice cream maker have both been named Supreme Champions at the NZ Ice Cream & Gelato Awards 2026.
As the cost-of-living crisis continues to put pressure on household grocery budgets, new figures show pork remains one of the most affordable fresh meat options for New Zealand families.
OPINION: In politics, credibility is and should be big. It must surely rank higher than charisma, which is quite trite and superficial. Yet, voters nowadays are often wooed and influenced by how someone looks or talks at a superficial level. TV plays a huge role in this.
Farmers can spend less time on paperwork, thanks to a new data sharing agreement between DairyNZ’s DairyBase and LIC’s MINDA software.
Kaikōura families affected by July's severe storm have found a practical solution to a problem that's kept some children away from regular schooling for weeks: a washed-out section of Inland Kaikōura Road, which has stopped the local school bus from running its usual route.
Rural New Zealand is welcoming the Government’s recent package of rural healthcare initiatives.
OPINION: The same mainstream media muppets that brought you Jacindamania in 2017 have been flat out pimping for the Opportunities…
OPINION: Your old mate reckons the atrocious way farmers in the UK are treated by their lords and masters in…
