And there were internal as well as external threats the Government’s planned update of its biosecurity strategy said.
Among threats at home were the primary sector’s reliance on a small number of monocultures and large-scale changes in land use such as dairy conversions.
External threats were not just from pest and disease incursions but also from pressure by overseas customers to conform to farming methods they found acceptable.
Releasing a discussion document, Biosecurity 2025, Guy said NZ faced a more diverse risk than previously and the paper was an opportunity to identify changes and improvements needed to the biosecurity system for the next 10 years.
Protecting the primary sector was a key goal of those changes.
“The primary sector is a significant part of NZ’s economy, making up around half of all our exports.
“We need to protect our producers from unwanted pests and diseases, which is why biosecurity has always been my number one priority as minister.”
Guy said new technology would have a role protecting our borders with better connected people and information allowing risks to be quickly identified and acted on.
The discussion document had five key focus areas; recruiting every New Zealander and every NZ business to be part of the biosecurity team, using innovation, science and technology, making use of information to inform risk management, effective leadership and governance and a skilled and capable workforce and infrastructure.
“We want industry, stakeholders and the wider public to have their say now on guiding principles and strategic directions for the biosecurity system, as well as proposed first steps.”
This document followed increased funding for extra detector dogs, x-ray machines and inspectors, the imposition of a new border clearance levy, a new in-flight video for international passengers and the construction of an $87 million bio-containment laboratory near Wellington.
It said monocultures provided some benefits but there were also considerable risks associated with low genetic diversity.
Land-use changes, including the rapid conversions to dairy farming over the last five years, had significant implications for biosecurity risk including changes to the risk profiles of pests and diseases specific to those new uses.
Producers here might also face greater market pressure to stop using chemical and non-chemical pest and disease treatments because of health, animal welfare and environmental concerns.
The report also cited a risk from increasing trade volumes as ports struggled to cope with rising freight and passenger volumes. Mail parcel volumes had risen 216% from 2003 to 2014 while sea container numbers were up 37% and passenger numbers were up 47%.
Rising imports and new source countries would increase the risk.
And climate change was likely to alter the distribution of some pests and diseases, which would change the viability of primary industries.
Guy also announced farmer and former Federated Farmers president Bruce Wills as one of four biosecurity champions to promote consultation on the document and the importance of biosecurity to New Zealanders.
The other three were Biosecurity Ministerial Advisory Committee chairman Graeme Marshall, television personality Ruud Kleinpaste and biosecurity scientist Anna Probert.
As part of the review, the Ministry for Primary Industries has been charged with preparing a Biosecurity 2025 Direction Statement, including a mission statement and guiding principles.
Submissions must be lodged by 5pm on Sept. 9.
