The minister has announced an extension to consultation of the proposed changes to the Biosecurity Act. The consultation now closes on 13 December 2024.
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has completed a review of the Biosecurity Act 1993. We have a developed a range of proposals to update and modernise the Act, and your views are essential to understand the impacts each proposal may have.
Our suggested changes relate to 6 topics, each of which has a discussion document setting out the proposals.
You do not have to read every document to make a submission, and you may choose to read and submit only on topics or proposals that are of most interest to you.
We have a prepared a discussion document for each of the 6 topics plus an overview document that ties them together and provides additional context.
Send us your feedback by 5pm on 13 December 2024.
We recommend using the online form.
Proposed amendments to the Biosecurity Act 1993 – SurveyMonkey
You can also provide feedback by email to BiosecurityBill@mpi.govt.nz
While we prefer you use the online form or email, you can post written submissions to:
Biosecurity System Policy team
Policy and Trade Branch
Ministry for Primary Industries
PO Box 2526
Wellington 6140.
Make sure you tell us in your submission:
New Zealand’s biosecurity system helps protect our economy, environment, and people from unwanted pests and diseases.
Our biosecurity system is underpinned by the Biosecurity Act 1993. The Act provides the main legal framework for MPI and other organisations to manage and respond to harmful pests and diseases. The Act provides MPI and other organisations the tools to manage biosecurity risk before it arrives on New Zealand’s shore, at the border, and within New Zealand.
While the Act has served us well for the last 30 years, increasing pressures on the biosecurity system from trade, travel, online purchasing and climate change mean some changes are required to keep the system resilient and fit for the future. We have an opportunity now to strengthen the biosecurity system and make it efficient, cost-effective, and adaptable.
Since 2019, we have talked with key stakeholders (including mana whenua, regional councils, Government Industry Agreement partners, and other government agencies) about potential updates to the Act and key policy issues.
Biosecurity Act 1993 – NZ Legislation
Each discussion document has a regulatory impact statement. They provide a high-level summary of the problem being addressed, the options and their costs and benefits, the consultation undertaken and the proposed arrangements for implementation and review. You do not need to read these to answer the consultation questions, but they may provide extra context.
MPI will analyse every submission and make recommendations to the Minister for Biosecurity. A summary of submissions will be posted on this page.
Note that all, part, or a summary of your submission may be published on this website. Most often this happens when we issue a document that reviews the submissions received.
People can also ask for copies of submissions under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA says we must make the content of submissions available unless we have good reason for withholding it. Those reasons are detailed in sections 6 and 9 of the OIA.
If you think there are grounds to withhold specific information from publication, make this clear in your submission or contact us. Reasons may include that it discloses commercially sensitive or personal information. However, any decision MPI makes to withhold details can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may direct us to release it.
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