The Tauranga Moana Biosecurity Capital (TMBC) initiative was launched amid hopes for it to become an example for other regions as the first step in the Government’s Biosecurity 2025 initiative.
The programme coincides with the launch of the Ko Tatou – This is Us social media campaign to increase awareness of the need for biosecurity vigilance and joint responsibility.
“This region is the trade capital so it must be the biosecurity capital,” Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor said.
“What we have here is a show of unity and taking responsibility for biosecurity, which is the number one issue for New Zealand.”
Studies indicated while people recognise the importance of biosecurity they do not think it directly affects them.
“But this region may be an exception to that,” he said, referring to the $1 billion impact of Psa outbreak in 2011.
The campaign is a movement as much as an advertisement, urging every New Zealander to take responsibility.
O’Connor said in some respects NZ has been a slow learner in biosecurity control, for example taking 100 years to introduce bio-fouling rules relating to boat hull cleanliness.
Capturing a wide net of community and industry groups the TMBC initiative strong iwi backing.
Iwi member and environmental researcher Carlton Bidois said Tauranga iwi were compelled to be part of the initiative and he is receiving strong interest from other iwi groups around the country.
His company’s research and development of environmental tools for land and water management is helping draw iwi closer to decision makers rather than leaving them to be added on later in the process.
“Joining forces as a community with the likes of the Ministry of Primary Industries and Environmental Protection Agency is the only way we will achieve this.”
The region is a particularly relevant area to start the work with its appreciation of Psa, some myrtle rust incursion, kauri dieback and 45 unwanted organisms in the harbour.
The inclusion of schools into the scheme has also been a strong focus.
The skills of educator Chris Duggan and her company House of Science have been engaged to develop Invasion Busters biosecurity kits in a suite of more than 30 bilingual science resource kits provided to 8000 primary and intermediate students every week.
The kit engages students in hands-on science activities including bug identification, insect trapping, surveillance and border inspection.
A board game enables children to work as a team to manage a biosecurity system holding up against assorted nasties including stink bugs and fruit flies.
TMBC co-chairman Graeme Marshall said the region is developing a deep resource of biosecurity expertise across both water and land management and he is optimistic there will be even greater collaboration between groups from here on in.
