'Standing army' ready to keep NZ clean, green

More than 40 incidents involving bugs, pests and other unwelcome guests saw biosecurity agency AgriQuality jump to the nation's defence last year.

Every case, whether it was a solitary brown tick on a dog or the foot and mouth hoax that shocked the nation, was treated like a military exercise, said chief executive John Morgan.

"Some people call us the SAS of biosecurity," he said. "We sweep in with all the appropriate gear and equipment, and do the job."

Within five hours of a reported incident experts are on the scene, within 17 hours suspicions are confirmed or otherwise and within 24 hours the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry decides whether to respond or stand down, Morgan said.

"The whole thing gets activated before people even realise, and often they're false alarms. They just quietly disappear and no one gives it any attention."

AgriQuality is a state-owned enterprise and one of New Zealand's largest food safety, quality assurance and biosecurity organisations with more than 700 staff at 50 branches nationwide.

A "standing army" of more than 400 staff are trained in biosecurity with up to $7 million spent each year on additional training, simulations and surveillance.

That description of readiness runs contrary to accusations last week by National Party spokesman Shane Ardern - that the Government has a sit-and-wait attitude to pest incursions. Ardern's attack came after Biosecurity Minister Jim Anderton said it was impossible to have a pest management strategy before an incursion.

Morgan said a pest management strategy was specific to an actual incursion such as varroa bee mite or bovine TB, but at the same time the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry maintained a priority pest list.

The list was regularly reviewed to ensure the greatest threats received the most attention, while simulation exercises tested response plans.

"So all the time, unknown to the public, the Government and its contractors are busy working on those simulations so when the real thing happens [we're ready]."

The reason the public was unaware of most biosecurity threats was because of the team's "efficiency and accuracy in recognising, assessing and shutting down the risks", Morgan said.

However, when an incursion did make the news the reaction could be misguided.

"Every time there's a find and there's a ritual beating you disincentivise everybody," he said. "If we have a drug bust at the border we celebrate it and we say, 'Isn't it fantastic' ... in biosecurity it's, 'Woah, how did it get through'."

He added that there was plenty to celebrate, including efforts to eradicate painted apple moth, for which AgriQuality was the head contractor.

"We've had cracks at things most other places wouldn't even bother about and I think we should be proud of that."

Morgan said the public was generally supportive of eradication efforts despite the sometimes unpleasant short-term impact. "I think people are getting more accepting that there is a price to pay to keep New Zealand clean and green," he said. "Very few medicines taste great."

* Last week AgriQuality reported $2.76 million profit after tax on revenue of $81.23 million for the year ended June. A dividend of $1.66 million was returned to its shareholder, the Crown.

Biosecurity scares requiring response in 2004/05:

In some cases these represent a single find rather than a full-scale outbreak.

* Asian gypsy moth in Hamilton

* Didymosphenia geminata (rock snot) in Southland

* Crazy Ant (Paratrechina longicornis) in Taranaki, Onehunga and Tauranga

* Monomorium destructor (ant), in Auckland

* Florida red scale in Auckland

* Fall webworm in Auckland

* GMO maize in East Coast, Waikato, Bay of Plenty

* Brown tick (on a dog in Auckland)

* Marron (crayfish) in Auckland

* Rudd (fish) in Auckland

* Gudgeon (fish) in Auckland

* Asian Cycad Scale in Auckland, Coromandel and Waikato

* Pleurotus eryngii mushrooms (North Auckland)

* Post-weaning multi-systemic wasting syndrome in Waikato, North Auckland, Pukekohe, Taranaki

* Spilosoma (moth) in Auckland

* Varroa Destructor (Canterbury and Murchison)

* Foot and mouth disease hoax (Waiheke Island)

* Red imported fire ant in Napier

* Painted apple moth in Auckland.