EPA Chair Outlines Reforms to Speed Up Approvals

The EPA is responsible for approving and setting controls on the use of new hazardous substances, such as chemicals used on farms and orchards, and also the importation of biological control agents such as parasites to control weeds. But for a number of years the agency has been the subject of widespread criticism for being too bureaucratic and taking too long to approve new organisms and hazardous substances.

Dr Barry O'Neil told Rural News the new board, new CEO and new senior staff have got the message. He says they have developed a strategy that will set the EPA on a pathway to becoming a modern regulator that understands what is happening in the real world, is connected to the stakeholders and is delivering the right outcomes for NZ in an appropriate timeframe.

These changes are starting to show, with the EPA saying that in the past year it reduced the number of applications waiting for approval by more than 36% and the level of applications approved is back to pre-covid levels.

"We are focusing on new technologies such as AI and seeing how we can use this in our regulatory processes. Some of the regulated products we are dealing with are novel, which we have never had to deal with before. What we are endeavouring to do is getting an understanding of what is coming down the pipeline and having systems in place to be able to deal with these," he says.

One of the emerging challenges facing the EPA and other similar regulators worldwide is pressure from consumers about the amount of chemicals being used to control diseases. O'Neil says there's a move away from the concept of one thing/product to solve a problem and an emphasis on 'integrated pest management' (IPM). This involves using several things, be they chemicals or biological products, to control a problem disease. These are exciting times with more tools being added to the toolbox, he says.

Consumer Focus

O'Neil says NZ has a unique environment that it needs to preserve and part of that is reducing the use of certain agrichemical products which are viewed negatively by consumers.

"Consumers are becoming very discerning, especially those who spend more money to buy NZ products which they regard as high quality, safe and nutritious. And we need to provide these for them," he says.

The other issue that is constantly being raised by those in the horticulture sector is the need for a faster approval pathway for products that have been approved in other countries with high-quality regulation - such as Australia, Canada, the UK and Europe.

O'Neil agrees that NZ needs to be better connected with what he calls "like-minded regulators" and points out that just recently the CEO of the EPA was in Australia seeking to build stronger relationships with our trans-Tasman neighbours.

However, he warns that NZ still has to make sure that a product approved in another jurisdiction does meet our specific requirements.

Overall, O'Neil says in a relatively short space of time the EPA has modernised its operating systems, put in place new quality control measures and is shaping the organisation to be a modern, effective regulator that is connected to its stakeholders.