About GIA
The Government Industry Agreement for Biosecurity Readiness and Response (GIA) is a partnership between government and industry for improving New Zealand’s biosecurity.
Under GIA, industry organisations and the Ministry for Primary Industries, as the government’s representative, sign a Deed that formally establishes the biosecurity partnership.
The GIA Deed outlines the principles for the partnership and the commitments that each Signatory makes to engage in the wider biosecurity system and co-invest to improve the collective biosecurity capacity and capability of industry and government in readiness and response.
Deed Signatories negotiate and agree the priority pests and diseases of most concern to them and agree actions to minimise the risk and impact of an incursion or prepare for and manage a response in the event than an incursion occurs.
Joint decision-making and cost-sharing helps to ensure that industry organisations have a formal role, alongside government, in managing their biosecurity risks.
Why is GIA important?
Industry and government can achieve better biosecurity outcomes by working together – GIA enables this.
Biosecurity is critically important to New Zealand and to our primary industries. An unwanted pest or disease - like the Psa vine disease, Mycoplasma Bovis, Queensland Fruit Fly or Brown Marmorated Stink Bug could have a significant impact on an industry, a regional economy, the national economy, natural and urban environments and taonga species. It is important to have the right measures in place to prepare, respond to and, if needed manage on an ongoing basis, pest or disease incursions.
GIA gives primary industries a direct say in managing biosecurity risks. Deed Signatories share decision making, costs and responsibility in preparing for and responding to biosecurity incursions. This approach gives all partners the confidence that the best decisions are being made about managing biosecurity.
How GIA came about
In late 2011, government and industry agreed that a GIA Deed would be jointly drafted to capture the principles and processes of working in partnership under the Government Industry Agreement for Biosecurity Readiness and Response to achieve better biosecurity outcomes.
The Biosecurity Act 1993 was revised in 2012 to make provision for the GIA and the GIA Deed.
The GIA Deed was developed by a joint industry-MPI working group. Cabinet approved it in December 2013. The GIA Deed came into effect formally in May 2014, when it was signed by Kiwifruit Vine Health and the Ministry for Primary Industries. Since that initial signing a further 22 industry sector have signed the GIA Deed.
Read more about GIA's history