Biosecurity Minister John Luxton today officially launched the new Biosecurity Authority, saying it was a very positive move that will mean greater focus and co-ordination of the biosecurity risks that New Zealand faces on a daily basis.

"The biosecurity portfolio is one of my most important ministerial responsibilities because it is the portfolio that carries the highest stakes should the worst happen and a serious pest or disease establish itself in New Zealand."

The Biosecurity Authority brings together over 80 biosecurity experts and will be the leader and co-ordinator of not only MAF's biosecurity activities, but also New Zealand's total biosecurity programme.

"The establishment of the Biosecurity Authority follows a number of previous initiatives by this Government in the biosecurity area and honours our serious commitment to biosecurity. These include the establishment of the biosecurity portfolio, the introduction of the Biosecurity Act and the creation of the Biosecurity Council."

"Every day there are threats to New Zealand's biosecurity status. Fortunately the majority of these are intercepted by MAF's quarantine service. For example, each year 86,000 risk goods such as apples, meat, honey are seized, and 4,500 unwanted organisms including fruit fly, gypsy moth and black widow spiders are stopped at the border."

"This is a challenging area especially given the increase in passengers and cargo coming into New Zealand. In the last 10 years passenger numbers have more than doubled from 1.5 to 3.16 million. In the last 5 years the number of sea containers has increased from 200,000 to 316,000, and used vehicles over the same period have increased from 50,000 to 120,000."

"Incursions will occur no matter how hard we try to exclude them from our shores. It is essential for New Zealand to retain a biosecurity capability to enable biosecurity risks to be identified, assessed and managed in a consistent and effective manner.'

"New Zealand is a small country, with limited resources and expertise, so it is important that all groups work together to ensure our biosecurity systems are able to protect our unique biodiversity." "I congratulate all those involved in establishing the Biosecurity Authority, and look forward to the establishment of the new Authority as the centrepiece of the Government's biosecurity risk management programmes."

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>