Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Although didymo prefers a river environment with clear water flowing over stable substrate at depths sufficient for light penetration to drive photosynthesis, blooms have been found in South Island Lakes. Lake Wakatipu, for example, contains visible didymo on some parts of the lake shore.
Some people may be allergic to the caterpillar’s hairs.
This honey IHS process has been underway for years. Beekeepers have been waiting for a decision for some time. Biosecurity New Zealand wanted to end the uncertainty sooner rather than later; there would never be a ‘good’ time.
Varroa has been present in New Zealand for six years and is a completely separate issue to the IHS. Biosecurity New Zealand does not believe that an internal disease control operation in New Zealand should have a bearing on decisions on international trade.
When you bring risk goods to NZ, your goods will be inspected, treated if necessary, and you can collect them afterwards. Animal and plant products may be treated with Methyl Bromide and/or Formalin. Seeds, straw products and pine cones may be heat treated to destroy the viability of seeds and fungal spores.
If you are an Accredited Person and have not completed a container log sheet, you should do so.
Alternatively, if you can not access the website, you may fax a manual log sheet to MAF at 09 300 3205.
It is not possible to predict what future incursions may occur, and the scale, duration, and resulting costs of future incursion responses. However, Appendix 11 of the discussion paper gives examples of the costs of past incursion responses that MAF has undertaken. Surveillance and contingency planning activities generally are less costly than responding to an incursion. Investing well in these activities would decrease the risk of a costly incursion response needing to be undertaken.
No, containers should not be opened without confirmation the container has been cleared by MAFBNZ.
You should have received a Customs Delivery Order (CDO) and/or Biosecurity Authority Clearance Certificate (BACC) from your broker/agent. You will need to refer to the CDO under the "Delivery Instructions" that "MAF clearance has been given to move from wharf to ATF (approved transitional facility)". If any other MAF message appears in this section (e.g. "MAF HOLD"), then you will need to refer to the BACC for further instructions.
We cannot be accurate at this time, but it is likely to be somewhere in the realm of $500 per year per ship coming to New Zealand. This levy will be supplemented by direct user charges in the small number of cases where ships require additional control action. Maritime New Zealand will administer the levy similarly to the current Maritime Safety Charge.
The levy will be developed in regulations following changes to the Maritime Transport Act. Stakeholders and interested groups will have the opportunity to contribute their views on the levy as part of the public consultation process for the regulations.
All of the fixed activity costs (including the first 15 minutes of risk assessing a Biosecurity Authorisation/ Clearance Certificate application) are estimated at $13 million per annum. This amount will be collected on about 1.2 million ‘trigger points’ in the New Zealand Customs Service computerised entry processing system. MAF’s variable border clearance costs constitute about $10 million per annum. This amount will be collected via the hourly rate charge and specific fees. There is no relationship between the first 15- minute processing time covered by the levy and the hourly rate charge.