Vote Biosecurity
The output expenses within Vote Biosecurity contribute to MAF achieving the following intermediate outcomes:
- Maintained and enhanced market access for agricultural, food and forestry products and reduced market distortions resulting from trade rules and market interventions.
- Credible and trusted animal and plant product assurance.
- Balanced export and import regime covering the safety and suitability aspects of trade in animal and plant products.
- Protection of land-based and aquatic environments, primary production systems, trade, and human health and wellness from biosecurity pests.
- Reduced impacts on human health and wellness from biosecurity pests and pest management activities.
- Protection from biosecurity pests of the economic, environmental, recreational and cultural values and benefits associated with land, biological and water environments.
- Protection of Maori biologically-based economic resources.
- Protection of Maori biologically-based cultural resources.
Biosecurity Policy
This includes providing analysis and advice on, and development of, policies, legislation and organisational arrangements to be applied to: implementing the Biosecurity Strategy, developing the biosecurity system and managing operational responses, the provision of biosecurity advice to Ministers and participation in biosecurity and consultative forums, Māori responsiveness, and ongoing business support.
Performance Measure and results:
All policy advice will conform to the criteria set out in Schedule A of the SOI.
All biosecurity policy advice conformed to the criteria set out in Schedule A and was subject to peer review, manager review and director approval to ensure it complied with the criteria.
Performance Measure and results:
Priority work is completed as agreed, or as subsequently amended by agreement, between the Minister and the Director-General via the 2006/07 Output Plan.
We completed all priority work as agreed. We provided policy advice and recommendations on response options and a preferred response for five major incursions (red imported fire ant, didymo, southern saltmarsh mosquito, varroa South Island incursion, and imported sweet corn with traces of genetic modification). This compared with an expected workload of one to four responses (in the Vote Biosecurity Output Plan). In addition, we allocated significant policy resources to the merger of Biosecurity New Zealand and MAF Quarantine Service.
Performance Measure and results:
Input into key international forums - the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), International Maritime Organisation (IMO), Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the World Trade Organisation Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement (WTO/SPS) - will be submitted in accordance with the international organisations' consultation requirements 100 percent of the time, meet Ministers' expectations and involve appropriate consultation with affected stakeholders.
All our input into key international forums met the required standards and was submitted in accordance with the international organisations' consultation requirements 100 percent of the time. We received no negative Ministerial feedback regarding their expectations being met and we consulted affected stakeholders appropriately. The development of New Zealand's input to the above forums is recorded and the development history of the standards and positions agreed in these forums illustrates where New Zealand's (and like-minded countries') input has influenced the final international standard or position.
Performance Measure and results:
Implementation of a Biosecurity Science Strategy in partnership with MoRST, which will be endorsed by government (biosecurity agencies and their Ministers), stakeholders and the science community and compilation and implementation of a biosecurity research programme aligning with this strategy.
We have not implemented the Biosecurity Science Strategy, primarily due to staff turnover and the analysis of submissions and revisions taking longer than anticipated. The draft Biosecurity Science Strategy was released for public consultation in November 2006 and this consultation showed broad support for the document across sectors. The Strategy is currently being revised based on this feedback and is due for completion by the end of October 2007. Implementation will begin following the release of the final document. However, we did implement a biosecurity operational research programme and align it with the draft Biosecurity Science Strategy.
Financial Performance
| Actual June 2006 $(000) |
Main Estimates June 2007 $(000) |
Supp Estimates June 2007 $(000) |
Actual June 2007 $(000) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11,418 | Revenue Crown | 11,264 | 9,337 | 9,337 |
| 168 | Revenue Other | 220 | 220 | 83 |
| 11,586 | Total Revenue | 11,484 | 9,557 | 9,420 |
| 11,542 | Total Expenses | 11,484 | 9,557 | 9,481 |
| 44 | Surplus/(Deficit) | - | - | (61) |
Biosecurity Approvals and Assurance
This covers the administration of biosecurity standards and export certification. It involves auditing against biosecurity regulatory standards and providing assurance to trading partners that New Zealand exporters are complying with the relevant regulations.
Performance Measure and results:
100 percent of the agreed audit schedule is completed and effective reviews carried out in accordance with Compliance Team procedures (as per ISO 19011 and Biosecurity New Zealand audit policy) and, when appropriate, include constructive suggestions for improvement.
Our Compliance and Enforcement Group completed 94 percent of audits as intended (47 audits in total). We also completed seven urgent audits over and above the planned audit investigations. Six percent of the audit schedule was not completed due to resource constraints and auditors being diverted to other urgent tasks. We implemented a Biosecurity New Zealand wide compliance database, which has improved our ability to monitor audit progress and all remedial activity necessary in relation to audit findings.
Financial Performance
| Actual June 2006 $(000) |
Main Estimates June 2007 $(000) |
Supp Estimates June 2007 $(000) |
Actual June 2007 $(000) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 928 | Revenue Crown | 1,182 | 1,043 | 1,043 |
| 546 | Revenue Other | 840 | 1,078 | 544 |
| 1,474 | Total Revenue | 2,022 | 2,121 | 1,587 |
| 1,762 | Total Expenses | 2,022 | 2,121 | 1,883 |
| (288) | Surplus/(Deficit) | - | - | (296) |
Biosecurity Enforcement
This covers investigation and (where appropriate) prosecution of individuals and organisations who breach biosecurity legislation.
Performance Measure and results:
Complaints investigated in priority order in accordance with a risk management framework.
We received or were referred a total of 137 biosecurity related breaches which were prioritised using a risk management framework but could not be investigated in that priority order. We had developed the priority framework specific to the type of enforcement response necessary and based on the methodology set out in the biosecurity Integrated Risk Management Framework but in practice it was not flexible enough to take into account the number of unplanned and/or more urgent responses and allow us to reprioritise at short notice. As a result, we investigated those additional responses as they arose but outside of the priority order. We began establishing a new priority framework based around the principles set out in the new biosecurity New Zealand Decisions Framework, aiming to be more flexible due to the response-driven nature of this work.
Performance Measure and results:
99 percent of prosecution actions brought lead to successful prosecutions (i.e. the courts finding in MAF's favour); one percent allowed for Courts' discretion to discharge without conviction in minor matters.
100 percent of our prosecution actions were successful and all 47 defendants were successfully prosecuted under the provisions of the Biosecurity Act 1993. A further eight defendants are currently before the Courts awaiting hearing and will be reported in next year's Annual Report. One defendant was convicted under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1997.
Performance Measure and results:
No abuse of process determined by the Courts for any prosecution commenced.
We did not receive any adverse comments from the Courts for any prosecutions commenced.
Performance Measure and results:
All enforcement activity carried out within the parameters of a compliance and enforcement “best practice” environment.
Our Compliance and Enforcement Group developed an operational workflow programme ensuring a consistent process for all the areas of compliance and enforcement it administers. The workflow is directly linked to a comprehensive legal and practice manual allowing enforcement officers and investigators to access this support both via their home base and when operating remotely. Each month we electronically updated the manual along with its legal content (statutes, rules and legal precedents) to ensure parties operating within the enforcement environment had access to the latest legal provisions and “best practice” processes. An audit system is incorporated within the workflow to provide proof that “best practice” processes were being followed.
Financial Performance
| Actual June 2006 $(000) |
Main Estimates June 2007 $(000) |
Supp Estimates June 2007 $(000) |
Actual June 2007 $(000) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,844 | Revenue Crown | 3,606 | 4,162 | 4,162 |
| 43 | Revenue Other | 45 | 55 | 44 |
| 3,887 | Total Revenue | 3,651 | 4,217 | 4,206 |
| 3,858 | Total Expenses | 3,651 | 4,217 | 4,053 |
| 29 | Surplus/(Deficit) | - | - | 153 |
Biosecurity Standards
This involves setting standards for imports, exports, border (including transitional facilities), post-border (including response and surveillance), international agreements, undertaking risk analysis to support standard development, and monitoring border pathways. Standards need to comply with the Biosecurity Act 1993.
Performance Measure and results:
100 percent of new biosecurity standards or revisions to existing standards are able to be implemented as intended by MAF Quarantine Service and other accredited providers.
About 98 percent of the 44 new and revised biosecurity standards were able to be implemented by our Quarantine Service and other accredited providers. The two percent not implemented represent one standard an exporting country declined to implement. In this case, the advice from MFAT that the proposed standard would be acceptable was mistaken. Bilateral technical discussions are scheduled for next year.
Performance Measure and results:
100 percent of new biosecurity standards and risk analyses or revisions are prioritised using the Integrated Risk Management Framework.
We prioritised 90 percent of new Biosecurity standards and risk analyses or revisions using the Integrated Risk Management Framework. The other ten percent were additional due to urgent, unforeseen work requirements and therefore were not prioritised. This included work associated with supporting trade agreements. We used the Integrated Risk Management Framework to prioritise the 2007/08 Import Health Standard work development programme.
Performance Measure and results:
100 percent of all biosecurity standards and risk analyses or revisions comply with the Biosecurity Act 1993.
100 percent of biosecurity standards and risk analyses complied with the Biosecurity Act. A judicial review on one standard confirmed the processes under which the standard was issued but a decision on a subsequent appeal of that review is expected shortly.
Performance Measure and results:
Export assurances meeting importing country requirements operate within the internationally accepted norm of a five percent margin for justified detection of error.
Our export assurances met importing country requirements within the internationally accepted norm of a five percent margin. These assurances are divided into three groups:
PLANTS: We received ten official notifications of quarantine pests intercepted by import control authorities as plant products from New Zealand entered their countries. These were from 30,000 export consignments and is well within the five percent margin of error for the sampling scheme operated within the MAF export phytosanitary certification system.
FORESTRY: We received two official notifications of quarantine pests intercepted by import control authorities as plant products from New Zealand entered their countries. These are from 20,000 export consignments and is also well within the five percent margin.
ANIMALS: We received two official notifications of non-compliant live animals or germplasm intercepted by import control authorities as live animals or germplasm from New Zealand entered their countries and is well within the five percent margin. The European Food and Veterinary Office audited the bovine germplasm export system and found multiple issues which resulted in us withdrawing certification for these products to the EU until improved processes were put in place.
Financial Performance
| Actual June 2006 $(000) |
Main Estimates June 2007 $(000) |
Supp Estimates June 2007 $(000) |
Actual June 2007 $(000) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21,890 | Revenue Crown | 21,454 | 21,625 | 21,625 |
| 2,028 | Revenue Other | 2,069 | 2,765 | 2,101 |
| 23,918 | Total Revenue | 23,523 | 24,390 | 23,726 |
| 23,908 | Total Expenses | 23,523 | 24,390 | 23,945 |
| 10 | Surplus/(Deficit) | - | - | (219) |
Biosecurity Surveillance and Incursion Response
This covers the delivery of services for surveillance for new organisms in the terrestrial and aquatic environments including: invasive species, pests and diseases of native and introduced animal and plant populations (including forests), maintenance of the capability to investigate and respond to new organisms and, if necessary, the delivery of services for their eradication or management.
Performance Measure and results:
All reported suspect new and unwanted organisms investigated and the presence of an exotic organism (as opposed to established organism) ruled in or ruled out in accordance with agreed standards (as specified in the Output Plan).
We investigated all reported suspect new and unwanted organisms. The investigations were conducted within the agreed service parameters described in the standards and procedures specified in the Output Plan.
We processed 16,051 calls to our Exotic Disease and Pest Hotline. These calls resulted in:
- Service complaints from less than one percent of calls;
- 3466 specimen identification inquiries processed by our Investigation and Diagnostic Centre (IDC) Plant Health and Environment Laboratory; and
- 775 investigations into suspect new or unwanted organisms conducted by the IDC Incursion Investigation teams with a further 113 investigations open and active at the end of the year.
Performance Measure and results:
All reports of suspected unwanted organisms are investigated and responded to in accordance with existing policies, standards and procedures.
We responded to all suspect unwanted organism reports in accordance with our Biosecurity Incursion Policy Statement which provides a high level framework to guide response activities. This Statement provided adequate guidance for medium and large sized responses but could prove onerous for the many detections where the risks did not warrant a significant response. A new Incursion Response model that provides a scalable approach for managing responses has been progressing well. A new Biosecurity Response Policy is also being developed to account for the changes in biosecurity which have occurred in recent years.
Performance Measure and results:
All surveillance, incursion response and pest management programmes have clearly identified objectives and performance measures.
We conducted all existing surveillance programmes in accordance with defined objectives and performance measures - compliance was verified by representative audit. All incursion responses had clearly defined and documented objectives that were agreed at the outset of the response and adjusted as required as the response develops. The new Incursion Response model will allow increasing emphasis on formal recommendation and sign-off of response objectives. We increasingly focused on using project management disciplines in responses, which resulted in greater clarity and improved documentation of objectives and performance measures.
All existing pest management programmes have clearly identified control objectives and performance measures specified either in an operational memorandum of understanding with the Department of Conservation (for the five programmes delivered by DOC) or in contracts which were reported against.
Performance Measure and results:
All programmes audited in accordance with agreed schedules and all critical and key issues addressed.
We completed six of the 14 audits proposed at the start of the year. The remaining audits were either reprioritised, cancelled because of changing circumstances, or rescheduled for 2007/08. Resource constraints were a major factor in the number of audits being rescheduled. We completed two audit reports and addressed and resolved all issues. The remaining reports are yet to be finalised (some have only recently been undertaken) but the critical issues have been addressed.
Performance Measure and results:
Pest management roles and responsibilities are clarified and pest management priorities are clearly identified.
Interim roles and responsibilities were agreed by the Biosecurity Central Regional Government Forum (chief executives) in August 2006. This covered principles, criteria and the process for deciding when MAF will lead the management of pests at a national level. This was subsequently applied and pest management priorities were announced in December 2006 (establishing 11 national programmes). Subsequent feedback from central and regional biosecurity agencies confirmed the interim roles and responsibilities worked well overall, and these are now being finalised as part of our new Risk Organism Response Policy. Wider work on roles and responsibilities will continue over the next two to three years (e.g. clarifying marine biosecurity roles and responsibilities) and will be progressed through the preparation of a National Policy Statement on the Crown's interest in post-border biosecurity.
Financial Performance
| Actual June 2006 $(000) |
Main Estimates June 2007 $(000) |
Supp Estimates June 2007 $(000) |
Actual June 2007 $(000) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36,342 | Revenue Crown | 22,266 | 54,777 | 53,277 |
| 2,225 | Revenue Other | 2,279 | 2,430 | 1,993 |
| 38,567 | Total Revenue | 24,545 | 57,207 | 55,270 |
| 38,668 | Total Expenses | 24,545 | 57,207 | 51,729 |
| (101) | Surplus/(Deficit) | - | - | 3,541 |
Quarantine Services
This covers the identification and management of biosecurity risk goods, and goods possibly contaminated with biosecurity risk organisms, entering New Zealand. It involves clearing all direct overseas aircraft and vessels, passengers, personal effect consignments, sea containers, used vehicles and mail items in accordance with biosecurity legislation and Biosecurity New Zealand standards.
Performance Measure and results:
Quarantine risk goods, packaging and conveyances imported via the cargo, mail and passenger pathways are identified and subsequently actioned in accordance with biosecurity legislation and Biosecurity New Zealand standards.
We identified and actioned quarantine risk goods, packaging and conveyances in accordance with biosecurity legislation and Biosecurity New Zealand standards. This included issuing 374,936 Biosecurity Authorisation Clearance Certificates (BACCs) in the cargo and mail pathways, processing 576,014 sea containers, 129,164 used vehicles/machinery and 33,900 personal effects shipments. It also included x-raying 42,599,156 mail items, opening 76,864 mail items and processing 46,968 items of risk goods. We also processed 4,699,917 passengers and crew, seizing 116,671 risk items and issuing 4,880 infringement notices.
Performance Measure and results:
Direct overseas aircraft and vessel arrivals are cleared in accordance with biosecurity legislation and Biosecurity New Zealand standards.
We processed and cleared 29,732 direct overseas aircraft and 3,119 direct overseas vessels in accordance with biosecurity legislation and Biosecurity New Zealand standards. The numbers of passengers on board the aircraft and vessels processed is listed in the last measure above.
Financial Performance
| Actual June 2006 $(000) |
Main Estimates June 2007 $(000) |
Supp Estimates June 2007 $(000) |
Actual June 2007 $(000) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28,279 | Revenue Crown | 30,266 | 31,279 | 31,279 |
| 21,189 | Revenue Other | 22,500 | 26,900 | 23,491 |
| 49,468 | Total Revenue | 52,766 | 58,179 | 54,770 |
| 51,591 | Total Expenses | 52,766 | 58,179 | 55,241 |
| (2,123) | Surplus/(Deficit) | - | - | (471) |
Contact for Enquiries
Strategy and Performance Group
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Pastoral House
25 The Terrace
PO Box 2526, Wellington
Tel: +64 4 894 0100
Fax: +64 4 894 0738
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