Saturday, 01 October 2016 08:55

New MPI frontline staff

Written by 
More than 40 MPI frontline staff graduated in Auckland this week following nearly seven weeks of operational training. More than 40 MPI frontline staff graduated in Auckland this week following nearly seven weeks of operational training.

The graduation of 23 new quarantine officers will help protect New Zealand and relieve peak-time congestion at the country’s main international airports, says the Ministry for Primary Industries.

The new officers are among more than 40 MPI frontline staff that graduated in Auckland this week following nearly seven weeks of operational training.

The new staff were employed as part of MPI’s annual intake to ensure it can run its operations at maximum capacity, says Steve Gilbert, MPI’s border clearance director.

The new quarantine officers will work at the border to halt risk goods that have the potential to carry pests or diseases.

Gilbert says the new staff will help reduce waiting times at airports for arriving international passengers by providing more help to search baggage for biosecurity risk goods.

"The tourism boom is bringing in more travellers who are unfamiliar with New Zealand’s strict biosecurity requirements. That means we are undertaking additional baggage searches, and this is having an impact on queues during peak times.

"The new staff will help alleviate the congestion, as will the introduction of a new queue line at Auckland Airport this summer. The queue line will allow low-risk Australian and New Zealand passport holders to pass through MPI’s biosecurity controls more quickly.

"It’s going to be another busy summer for our frontline biosecurity staff and travellers. There is likely to be record numbers of visitors arriving in New Zealand.

"We're very conscious of the increasing fruit fly threat from Australia and parts of the Pacific. We are also on the lookout for threats like the brown marmorated stink bug, which has invaded the United States and parts of Europe."

In addition to the quarantine officers, the new frontline graduates include four biosecurity detector dog handlers and 12 compliance staff.

More like this

Farmers struggle with water and feed shortages

The drought in western parts of the North Island is reaching crisis point with many farmers from Northland to Taranaki having to truck in water and feed for their stock at great expense.

East Coast Expo delivers two action-packed days of events

The recent East Coast Farming Expo, held over two days at Wairoa, offered an insight into the current state of agriculture on the east of the North Island, at a time when the locals are remembering the second anniversary of Cyclone Gabrielle.

Featured

Farmers urged not to be complacent about TB

New Zealand's TBfree programme has made great progress in reducing the impact of the disease on livestock herds, but there’s still a long way to go, according to Beef+Lamb NZ.

Editorial: Making wool great again

OPINION: Otago farmer and NZ First MP Mark Patterson is humble about the role that he’s played in mandating government agencies to use wool wherever possible in new and refurbished buildings.

National

Machinery & Products

Farmer-led group buys Novag

While the name and technology remain unchanged and new machines will continue to carry the Novag name, all the assets,…

Buhler name to go

Shareholders at a special meeting have approved a proposed deal that will see Buhler Industries, the publicly traded Versatile and…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Make it 1000%!

OPINION: The appendage swinging contest between the US and China continues, with China hitting back with a new rate of…

Own goal

OPINION: The irony of President Trump’s tariff obsession is that the worst damage may be done to his own people.

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter