The signing of a fruit fly operational agreement by a number of horticultural groups and the Government will see a collaborative approach to reduce the potentially devastating impact of a fruit fly incursion.
“This is a significant milestone – it is the first time industry and Government have come together in this way to manage a shared biosecurity threat. It is also the first operational agreement under the Government Industry Agreement (GIA),” GIA secretariat manager, Steve Rich said.
“Under GIA, operational agreements provide the detailed contractual arrangements of how industry and government will work together to deliver better biosecurity outcomes,” Rich said.
“This agreement provides a prime example of how biosecurity will come to be managed in New Zealand. It will see signatories working together to reduce the impacts from fruit fly by agreeing readiness and response activities, associated decision rights and cost-sharing arrangements, between all parties,” he added.
Signatories to the agreement are Pipfruit NZ, Kiwifruit Vine Health, New Zealand Avocado Growers’ Association, New Zealand Citrus Growers’ and the Ministry for Primary Industries. It is expected that other industry groups impacted by fruit fly will also sign the operational agreement once they have joined the GIA partnership.
Pipfruit New Zealand said its $700 million industry will have greater confidence in the country’s biosecurity system now that it will play an influencing role in helping to manage and govern biosecurity and risk.
Chief executive of Pipfruit New Zeaalnd, Alan Pollard, said the industry and Government now had a successful template to follow for other biosecurity risks including the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug which would devastate New Zealand’s pipfruit sector if it ever got into New Zealand.
The agreement was signed by the parties at the B3 – Better Border Biosecurity Conference and was attended by the Minister for Primary Industries, Hon Nathan Guy. Other attendees included representatives from industry groups, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and the GIA Secretariat.
