Why our future depends on taking biosecurity seriously
OPINION: When it comes to biosecurity, we often hear about the end of a response, but it’s the beginning that helps determine our success.
Biosecurity is relevant to every New Zealander, according to the head of Biosecurity NZ Roger Smith.
He points to statistics showing that while 60% of people understand biosecurity, only 2% think it is relevant.
“That is a terrible statistic,” Smith told Rural News at the Biosecurity Forum in Auckland last week. “Actually, biosecurity is relevant to everybody.”
The forum, first held last year, gets together stakeholders — traditional and non-traditional — to take stock of work done to raise awareness about biosecurity.
“Some people think biosecurity is only relevant for farmers, but if you run a florist shop biosecurity is as important, so we have people at the forum from right across the spectrum.”
Biosecurity 2025, launched by the Government to raise awareness -- ‘Ko Tatou, This is Us’ – is an independent brand for the biosecurity community.
Smith says one of the main themes for Biosecurity 2025 is to build a biosecurity team of 4.7 million – all New Zealanders.
“We are creating a movement that connects and aligns all the actions and activities by individuals, businesses, iwi/hapū and communities across the biosecurity system and encourages further action.
“The movement shows all New Zealanders, both individuals and businesses, that they are essential in helping strengthen our system and that every small action towards better biosecurity is important.”
Biosecurity NZ was set up as a separate department of MPI by the Labour-led coalition.
The Government wanted to reaffirm the importance of biosecurity, Smith said, and many people saw MPI’s biosecurity branch as “interested in what farmers are doing”.
“When I used to go to a meeting representing MPI, even though I’m from biosecurity, I would be told that [MPI is] only interested in what farmers are doing. Conservation groups meeting us said ‘you are not interested in us’.”
He says Biosecurity NZ as a separate department reaffirms the importance the Government is placing on biosecurity for everyone in the country.
Meat co-operative, Alliance has met with a group of farmer shareholders, who oppose the sale of a controlling stake in the co-op to Irish company Dawn Meats.
Rollovers of quad bikes or ATVs towing calf milk trailers have typically prompted a Safety Alert from Safer Farms, the industry-led organisation dedicated to fostering a safer farming culture across New Zealand.
The Government has announced it has invested $8 million in lower methane dairy genetics research.
A group of Kiwi farmers are urging Alliance farmer-shareholders to vote against a deal that would see the red meat co-operative sell approximately $270 million in shares to Ireland's Dawn Meats.
In a few hundred words it's impossible to adequately describe the outstanding contribution that James Brendan Bolger made to New Zealand since he first entered politics in 1972.
Dawn Meats is set to increase its proposed investment in Alliance Group by up to $25 million following stronger than forecast year-end results by Alliance.
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