We're working with industry groups and government agencies to help develop robust biosecurity policy, standards and legislation.
Our role in biosecurity
B+LNZ works with industry groups and government agencies to help develop robust biosecurity policy, systems and standards.
B+LNZ ensures the best interests of sheep and beef farmers are represented by:
- Developing and extending guidance to farmers on ways they can best protect their farms from pests and diseases that are already in New Zealand Drystock biosecurity guidelines (PDF, 3MB).
- providing technical advice on import health standards
- participating in projects that aim to improve New Zealand's capability to respond to incursions of foreign animal diseases
- preparing submissions on biosecurity legislation or policy consultations that affect sheep and beef farmers
- providing input into international standards and biosecurity guidelines, including the World Organisation for Animal Health’s Terrestrial Animal Health Code
- working to ensure the National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) system is effective, efficient, and takes the practical realities of beef farming into account.
Our role in the GIA
The Government Industry Agreement for Biosecurity Readiness and Response (GIA) is a partnership between Government and industry that aims to improve New Zealand’s ability to manage biosecurity risks that may enter the country.
In return for paying a share of readiness and response costs, industry representative organisations are able to negotiate with the government and other industries about biosecurity priorities. We also hold decision rights on whether to respond to incursions of pests and diseases, and to set the direction for these responses.
Operational Agreements under the GIA
Under the GIA, primary industry representative organisations and the Ministry for Primary Industries develop agreements covering readiness and response for specific pests. These Operational Agreements set out the commitments of the Government and each sector party, including funding shares for readiness and response activity.
The following Operational Agreements between the livestock industries and the government were negotiated as part of the GIA:
- Operational Agreement on foot and mouth disease readiness and response.
- Mycoplasma bovis eradication programme.
Background to the GIA
In late 2017 B+LNZ consulted farmers on joining the GIA, how the sector’s views would be represented under the GIA and how B+LNZ’s commitments under the GIA would be funded. Eighty-nine percent of respondents supported joining the GIA.
On 5 December 2018 B+LNZ officially joined the GIA.
Read the results of B+LNZ's consultation with farmers about joining the GIA (PDF, 225KB).
Through B+LNZ, sheep and beef farmers are able to fund the sector's share of costs for readiness and response commitments under the GIA using a dedicated levy: Biosecurity (Readiness and Response - Meat Levy) Order 2019.
This is currently rated at zero for both beef and sheepmeat, but would be raised in future if necessary to meet any commitments to managing threats to the sheep and beef sector.