Govt Backs Down On Clean Used Vehicle Imports

12 February 2001 - Wellington

Government Backs Down On Clean Used Vehicle Imports

Contact: Karli Thomas or Barry Weeber, phone 04 385 7374

Forest and Bird is aghast at MAF’s decision to allow used vehicles to be brought into New Zealand without being inspected for pests and diseases prior to shipment.

Forest and Bird Biosecurity Awareness Officer, Karli Thomas, said the latest figures from MAF show that less than half of vehicles coming into New Zealand undergo pre-shipment inspections. “This places the future well-being of New Zealand’s environment and primary industry at risk”.

Ms Thomas said that MAF’s own review shows that the rate of gypsy moth interceptions on used vehicles more than tripled from 1998 to 1999.

“The gypsy moth is one of the world’s worst forest pests, and would have catastrophic consequences for our native and plantation forests if it became established in New Zealand.”

Ms Thomas said that there are many other types of pests and weeds that could also be present on imported used vehicles, including the white spotted tussock moth. MAF’s decision was based on the behaviour of the gypsy moth and fails to address the biosecurity risks that are posed by other species.

“MAF’s finding that native trees and radiata pine are not a favourite food of the gypsy moth in the Northern Hemisphere is no reason to compromise our defences. We only need to look at the fact that possums prefer eucalyptus in Australia to see where that argument can lead”.

Ms Thomas said MAF have not justified the change in the proposed biosecurity arrangements. “MAF proposed only last year that used vehicles should be inspected prior to import. Forest and Bird welcomed that proposal, but now a decision by MAF officials has taken us back to square one”.

“MAF are not meeting their obligations to protect New Zealand from biosecurity threats. The severity of these threats was recently highlighted in the report of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, New Zealand Under Seige.”

Ms Thomas said Forest and Bird commended the approach of one of the major used car carriers, the Kiwi Car Carrier company, who have installed inspection and cleaning facilities in Japan.

“This company has taken a lead and pays for MAF officers to undertake quarantine inspections on used cars before they leave Japan. This off-shore inspection and cleaning regime should be compulsory for all used car imports,” said Ms Thomas said.

Ms Thomas said Forest and Bird believed the trade in Japanese used cars which are not inspected and cleaned in Japan, should be stopped until biosecurity guarantees and liabilities are established at the port of departure.

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