Biosecurity Law Reform Bill Third Reading Speech

This Bill makes a wide range of improvements to the legislation that underpins our biosecurity system. The initial policy development work was started under the previous Labour Government and I want to acknowledge the continued support of the Labour Party.

The Bill was introduced during the last Parliament, in November 2010, and was considered by the Primary Production Committee in the first half of 2011. The Bill was reported back by the Committee in June 2011, and was read a second time before Parliament was dissolved for the General Election.

Mr Speaker, I talked in my first reading speech about the key themes that run across the amendments in the Bill, and it is useful to emphasise these again:

• Firstly, we need to continue to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the biosecurity system. We need to make sure that resources are allocated according to the level of risk, and are used to deliver the greatest level of protection possible;

• Secondly, we need to ensure that there is clarity around roles and responsibilities, and promote partnerships and collaboration. Protecting New Zealand from biosecurity risks cannot be the role of government alone. We need to ensure that we harness the combined efforts of others who are well placed to act, such as industry and regional councils;

• Thirdly, we need to future-proof the legislation, so that it has the flexibility to allow the biosecurity system to continue to evolve over time.

The Bill adds a number of new provisions that will improve effectiveness and efficiency in the management of biosecurity risk at our borders. These include:

• improved powers to gather information and use it for risk profiling so as to ensure that resources are allocated according to the level of risk;

• adding a new duty that requires importers to ensure that their goods comply with the applicable import rules;

• improving the enforcement options for dealing with non-compliance at the border; and

• improving the tools for dealing with the biosecurity risks that are presented by craft.

The Bill will help to provide clarity around roles and responsibilities, and promote partnerships and collaboration. A key initiative in this area is the government-industry agreement for readiness and response.

Over the last 12 months tremendous progress has been made in this regard. Industry organisations are working closely with the Ministry for Primary Industries on taking this initiative forward. The government-industry agreement will promote better prioritisation of activities in the readiness and response area, improve preparedness for incursions, and enable industry perspectives and expertise to be brought to the decision-making table.

The Bill includes a number of amendments that will future-proof the legislation. These include allowing for increased use of electronic systems, and enabling the Biosecurity Act to be used to manage biosecurity risks that arise in the Exclusive Economic Zone.

Of the many other enhancements that the Bill makes, I would like to also mention briefly:

• improving the information that is available on the FarmsOnLine database to support incursion responses; and

• important changes in the pest management area, including streamlining the process for developing pest management plans. 

Mr Speaker, members from across the House have talked in previous debates about how important the biosecurity system is to New Zealand. I would like to emphasise to the House that I am in complete agreement about the importance of biosecurity to our country.

I would also like to acknowledge the genuine concerns of growers, farmers and producers about New Zealand’s biosecurity system. I encourage them to raise their concerns with me and to engage in constructive debate as is their right.

However, I am disappointed in the manner in which biosecurity has been frequently used as a political football by some politicians and some industry leaders. I hope that the passage of this Bill, with cross party support, brings about a more constructive engagement, both in parliament and outside, rather than the continuation of some of the negative politics of recent times.

I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank the staff throughout New Zealand’s biosecurity system. They are hardworking, they are dedicated to doing their best, and deserve to be congratulated for their consistently high standard of work that has ensured New Zealand’s biosecurity system is world class.

As I have said before, biosecurity is and always will be my highest priority as Primary Industries Minister. This Bill reflects that, by bringing in reforms that will be of benefit across the whole of the biosecurity system.

Mr Speaker, I commend this Bill to the House.