The Ministry for Primary Industries held two meetings in Tauranga this week to solicit views on how to keep New Zealand pest free as part of a nationwide consultation to develop a new biosecurity strategy.
The meetings followed the launch last week of the Biosecurity 2025 public consultation by Minister for Primary Industries Nathan Guy. The existing strategy is now a decade old.
"Biosecurity is a shared responsibility and we need the awareness of all New Zealanders," Mr Guy says in the consultation document.
Julie Collins, MPI's director of biosecurity and animal welfare, led a public meeting in Tauranga attended by a wide range of participants, including regional councillors, biosecurity contractors, kiwifruit growers and others; followed by a hui for BOP iwi representatives. Rotorua people were encouraged to attend the Tauranga and Hamilton meetings.
"People here really understand the impact a nasty incursion can produce [because of Psa]," she said. "Also you've got the Port of Tauranga, where people are seeing a lot of traffic. It's a great region for us to come to talk about what we need to do differently in the future."