Monthly Bulletin

February 2025

This semi-regular update from the GIA Secretariat is intended to provide a general overview of the key matters considered by GIA governance bodies in the preceding month. It is not intended to communicate formal decisions by any of the parties, nor everything that happens within GIA. If there are any questions, or further information is required please contact steve.rich@gia.org.nz

GIA Operations Limited (GOL) Board Meeting: 3 February
Key matters discussed were:

MPI’s work on the prioritisation of its readiness budget.
Proposed changes to the Biosecurity Act, with MPI providing an update on the consultation process, submissions received, and next steps. The Board discussed how the partnership might engage further in the legislative review process.
Six-monthly progress against Secretariat Objectives and Budget
DGG Meetings in 2025, including the end-of-year away day (likely with a forestry sector focus, site visits in Rotorua and Tauranga, dinner, and DGG meeting the previous day).
Setting up a working group to consider the Government’s Science, Innovation, and Technology System Reforms from a GIA perspective.
Forthcoming DGG Chair Election
GOL’s role in contracting services on behalf of GIA Partners. The board agreed that procurement guidelines should be updated to reflect expectations around offshore risks and unacceptable practices.

Livestock Sector Chief Executive’s Forum (LSBC CE): 11 February
Key matters discussed were as follows:

OSPRI’s future direction
Work to support Pacific jurisdictions with disease preparedness
The HPAI response in Otago, including key lessons learned
Insights from a recent visit to the USA that highlighted that HPAI spreads primarily through transportation and machinery and has caused a drop in milk production.
FMD has been identified in a single lifestyle block in Germany, with no further cases detected. MPI is monitoring international responses noting that European regulatory settings differ from New Zealand’s.
Progress was reported on the FMD work programme, including the near finalisation of the FMDOA, the Response and Recovery Plan, the Welfare Plan, milk scheme notices, traceability work, and food waste recommendations.
Members agreed to dissolve the LSBC CE Forum, as the FMD Council under the FMDOA will assume its responsibilities. The FMD Council will also serve as an interim forum for broader biosecurity discussions while a longer-term governance structure is considered.
Members not transitioning to the FMD Council were formally thanked for their contributions over the past 2.5 years.

Interim Foot and Mouth Disease Council (FMDC): 21 February
Key matters discussed were as follows:

Finalising and agreeing the FMDOA
Planning for a public signing event of the FMDOA
Refining and finalising the FMD Council’s Terms of Reference
Establishing the composition and attendance rules for the FMD Council
Commencing the appointment process for the Chair and Deputy Chair of the FMD Council
The role of the FMD Council to provide a forum for broader biosecurity discussions and monitoring emerging risks and developments (beyond FMD).
Developing a starting work programme for 2025/26, amongst other things addressing compensation and workforce planning decisions.
Ongoing funding of FMD diagnostic supplies
Scheduling meetings for the IFMDC and full Council, with plans for two to three IFMDC meetings before 30 June 2025 and four full Council meetings for the 2025/26 year.

Lepidoptera Working Group Planning Meeting: 21 February

Progress through this year’s workplan and projects was reviewed.
Stocktake of diagnostic capability – the final report draft was tabled for review and feedback over the two weeks that followed.
Surveillance status and forward options – the near-final draft report was tabled for review and feedback.
Readiness and response plans/products across the five Pest Injury Guild groupings – difficulties have been encountered around the scope and resourcing, and the project will be reformatted for FY26.
Communication and engagement platform – draft communications in readiness and response have been developed, and more work will be included in next year’s workplan.
A plan for how MPI can secure BtK stock, aircraft and ensure regulatory readiness for flying and spraying – continues in development.
A comprehensive update of the 2022 Lepidoptera Readiness Stocktake has been undertaken. There are considerable opportunities to enhance surveillance with new technologies having come on stream. Some bring challenges, and work to test these will be included in the FY26 workplan.
Four key workstreams were identified as the FY26 workplan. Individual programmes/projects will be explored further through a workshop in May.
- Readiness plans and products
- Communications across readiness and response
- Surveillance opportunities
- Beneficiary review via the PIBC
The Lepidoptera Readiness OA includes a review option after three years, and prior to automatic renewal for a further two years. Having agreed in principle to consider a project to identify any additional OA beneficiaries as part of the, the OA Parties unanimously agreed that the 12-month review contemplated by section 3 of the Lepidoptera OA has been completed.

Xylella Working Group: 25 February

A BNZ compensation team member led the group through a morning session looking at the generic compensation process, its objectives, workings and outcomes, and then spoke to several worked scenarios on how it might apply in a Xylella response where properties were under a Notice of Direction. This will lead to group consideration of work to do to assist growers to be “compensation process ready”, working with BNZ on industry profiles and crop cycles and advance a discussion to the Plant Council for wider consideration.

The group approved a creative concept to grow awareness of Xylella among winegrowers, orchardists and the nursery supply chain.

A review of readiness and response measures in the USA and Europe is well advanced. It will inform future readiness work in NZ and possible updates to Plant Pass and/or orchard practices.

A B3 project on endemic vectors and their distribution, seasonality, variations in life stages in different locations, climate suitability and an overlay with that for Xylella, molecular barcoding and the development of a mechanistic model is near complete and a proposal for work on control measures for the meadow spittle bug (an endemic vector) is being developed.
A PIBC based project by PFR has completed Step 1 in the assessment of Xylella subspecies and glassy winged sharpshooter. Step 2 is underway.
Work programme priorities for next year were considered and areas for focus provisionally agreed:
- The next stage of the awareness programme.
- Further response scenario testing, most likely where an UO vector carrying Xylella was detected.
- Provisional work on readiness and response measures for growers and nurseries.
- Iwi engagement work that’s part of the Plant Sector Māori Engagement Pilot.
- Early work to scope a Xylella Forum in 2027.
- A placeholder for work on potential compensation issues.
The XAG will next meet in April and May to advance Response OA development, in April to undertake a Response scenario exercise and in May for its quarterly meeting.

Solanaceae Biosecurity Working Group (SBWG): 27 February

The SBWG noted updates on the most recent emerging risk scanning and progress on the operational specification.
The current embargo measures on Australian imported tomatoes were also discussed.  
The meeting reinforced the importance of proactive measures to safeguard the sector from emerging biosecurity threats. The next SBWG meeting is scheduled to take place on 21 May 2025.

November 2024 Bulletin

October 2024 Bulletin

September 2024 Bulletin

August 2024 Bulletin

July 2024 Bulletin

February 2024 Bulletin

December 2023 Bulletin

November 2023 Bulletin

October 2023 Bulletin

September 2023 Bulletin