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Proposed changes to the National Animal Identification and Tracing Act and regulations

Background to NAIT and this consultation

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) invited public comment on changes proposed to the National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) Act 2012 and regulations.

The NAIT scheme is New Zealand’s system for identifying and tracing cattle and deer.

  • The scheme was set up in 2012.
  • In 2016, OSPRI (which overesees the scheme) led a review to check how it was working.
  • At around the same time, the cattle disease Mycoplasma bovis was found in New Zealand.

NAIT is central to the biosecurity response effort to eradicate Mycoplasma bovis. The NAIT review and the response to Mycoplasma bovis both highlighted areas where the NAIT scheme could be improved. It required action on a number of fronts including:

  • operational changes to the scheme (being done by OSPRI)
  • a greater focus on communication, compliance, and enforcement
  • some changes to the Act and regulations underpinning the scheme.

Have your say

This consultation covered the proposed changes to the Act and regulations.

Submissions opened on 30 October 2018 and closed at 5pm on 19 December 2018.

Consultation document

What was proposed?

  • Proposals arising from the NAIT review, including changes to tagging, and improving access to NAIT data.
  • Proposals arising from the Mycoplasma bovis response, including tightening up the rules around untagged animals, and aligning penalties and infringement fees with those in the Biosecurity and Animal Products acts.

Feedback was also sought on some broader discussion around other potential changes to improve NAIT in the future.

Making your submission

People were invited to complete the submissions template and email their feedback on the proposals by 5pm on 19 December 2018 to NAITsubs2018@mpi.govt.nz

Note: The form must be completed in Adobe Reader. It will not work if completed in a web browser.

While we prefer email, you could send your submission by post to:

Consultation on NAIT regulatory change proposals
Ministry for Primary Industries
PO Box 2526
Wellington 6140
New Zealand.

Make sure you include in your submission:

  • the title of the consultation document in the subject line of your email
  • your name and title (if applicable)
  • your organisation's name (if applicable)
  • your address
  • your answers to the questions in the document (refer to the submissions template).

Find out more

Submissions are public information

Note, that any submission you make becomes public information. People can ask for copies of submissions under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA says we have to make submissions available unless we have a good reason for withholding it.  That is explained in sections 6 and 9 of the OIA.

Tell us if you think there are grounds to withhold specific information in your submission. Reasons might include that it's commercially sensitive or it's personal information. However, any decision MPI makes to withhold information can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may tell us to release it.

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