New Zealand Needs Improved Border Controls Now - Peters

“Border control in New Zealand is in need of improvement, said New Zealand First Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters today.

He was commenting on concerns being expressed throughout the farming industry, that foot and mouth disease could find its way into New Zealand with relative ease if stringent controls were not exercised.

“Many New Zealanders who travel regularly, can recall instances where individuals, who in their minds, were deserving of closer attention and inspection, simply passed quickly through customs and immigration checkpoints, he said.

“ Checkpoints at our borders are increasingly staffed by casual staff who through no fault of their own, lack the institutional wisdom and instinctive knowledge that can only be amassed by years of service and experience, Mr Peters suggested.

This problem is exacerbated in other border control situations such as the importation of used motor vehicles and containered cargoes to several ports around the country where volumes have increased markedly in recent years.

“As far as the importation of used motor vehicles are concerned, and this is an obvious cause for worry at present, there is no substitute for insisting that those wishing to import them, must ensure they are loaded for export to New Zealand only in a ‘clean’ decontaiminated state as Labour promised at the last election , Mr Peters insisted.

Mr Peters suggested “we have had several instances of undesirable insects entering our country via this means and this situation cannot be tolerated any longer. The Government when in opposition were vocal in their expression of concern and they have now been in the position to do something about it for quite some time. Instead, we have seen the incidence of infestation continue and even foreign substances the size of snakes get through our border control systems. This must not continue any longer , said Mr Peters, and I urge Government to address this matter with the urgency it demands.

ENDS

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