The Financial Arrangements Joint Working Group met for the first time on 2 April. It released the following communique after its meeting: 

The Financial Arrangements Joint Working Group (JWG) has been established with agreement from potential Signatories at the March 2014 Biosecurity Forum to develop the framework, principles and guidelines for implementing the financial arrangements for cost-sharing, and held its first meeting on 2 April 2014.  The JWG agreed that it will develop and recommend financial arrangements that it believes are most likely to be agreed by industry and government and will enable cost shares to be agreed through workable processes.

JWG members appointed Lois Ransom, Manager of the GIA Secretariat, as JWG Chair.  They considered that given the nature and importance of their work there was value in the JWG having an independent Chair.  It would also allow all members to fully contribute to group discussions.

The first priority of the JWG is to review the draft principles for establishing cost-shares and determining and applying a fiscal cap that were presented at the March Forum.  Comments on the drafts will be discussed at the next meeting of the JWG, which is proposed for early May.  Preliminary discussion identified a number of issues raised by the principles that will also need to be considered including chargeable and shareable costs (versus minimum commitments), and the sharing of costs that cover both government industry and industry shares.

The draft Terms of Reference of the JWG will be reviewed and amended to support its role, function and outcome.

For more information on the Financial Arrangements JWG, please contact Adam Benseman, GIA Secretariat.

Members of the Financial Arrangements Joint Working Group are: 

• Gisele Irvine, representing multiple horticulture industries
• Philip Gregan, NZ Winegrowers
• Martin Burns, NZ Equine Health Association (Racing Board)
• Paul Goldstone, Meat Industry Association
• Barry O’Neil, KVH Ltd
• Alan Pollard, Pipfruit NZ
• Chris Houston, Beef+Lamb NZ
• Kimberly Crewther, DairyNZ
• Chris Baddeley, MPI
• Fleur Matthews, MPI
• Brendan Gould, MPI