Raising the bar for lawmaking
OPINION: Farmers and growers know the frustration well: Pointless paperwork, slow consents, and confusing red tape that turns simple tasks into complex ones.
Today, public consultation begins on a series of proposals designed to strengthen New Zealand’s biosecurity system.
Included in those proposals are higher fines for passengers bringing in undeclared high-risk goods, greater flexibility surrounding import requirements, and fairer cost sharing for biosecurity responses.
Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says the future is about resilience, adding that the current Biosecurity Act – which is 30 years old – requires updating.
“A number of potential amendments are proposed to ensure it remains resilient and fit for the future,” Hoggard says.
He says New Zealand’s relative freedom from pests and diseases play a significant role in New Zealand’s competitive advantage, underpinning the country’s $53 billion food and fibre export industry.
“The Act is the legislative framework for the system that enables us to manage biosecurity risk and protect the economy and environment from harmful incursions,” Hoggard says. “This is important work, and we need input from primary industries, mana whenua, local authorities and the wider public to ensure we’ve got it right.”
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) will lead the policy programme to amend the Act.
Consultation materials, including seven discussion documents setting out policy proposals for change are on MPI’s website and can be accessed by visiting https://www.mpi.govt.nz/consultations/
Another milestone has been reached in the fight against Mycoplasma bovis with the compensation assistance service being wound up after helping more than 1300 farmers.
The Government’s directive for state farmer Landcorp Farming (trading as Pamu) to lifts its performance is yielding results.
The move to bring bovine TB testing in-house at Ospri officially started this month, as a team of 37 skilled and experienced technicians begin work with the disease eradication agency.
OPINION: For most farmers and readers, the term Sustainable Finance Taxonomy will make little sense.
A conference providing insights into how precision tools and technologies are shaping the future of the dairy industry will be held in New Zealand in December.
State farmer Pāmu has appointed Roz Urbahn as its new chief corporate services officer.
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