About 40 primary industry and MPI representatives attended the GIA Mandate Forum in Wellington to learn more about the GIA mandate process on 29 October.

The meeting was targeted at industry groups that have not yet signed the GIA Deed but who are working out the process of how to achieve mandate. It was focused on identifying each sector groups’ issues and barriers in the process of seeking mandate. A number of GIA partners shared their experiences of having been through the process.

Steve Rich, GIA Secretariat Manager and workshop facilitator, set the scene for the day: “Whatever stage you are at, our aim is to give you knowledge about what you have to do to get a GIA mandate – whether that be tomorrow, or next year.” 

“With cost recovery for readiness and response being implemented over the next 18 months. It’s important that everyone has all the information to help them make a decision on whether to join GIA,” said Steve.

Geoff Gwyn, TDGG Chair and MPI – Director Intelligence, Planning and Coordination, gave an update of the progress that had been made between 2012 to now, from the formation of the Interim Deed Governance Group (IDGG) and the two responses under GIA to a growing partnership now with seven Signatories. He noted that while much of the work creating the platform for GIA was done however, there is still more to be done.

The sessions were focused in the following three areas:

Understanding minimum commitments – industry Signatories spoke about how they approached determining, meeting and funding their minimum commitments.

Developing a biosecurity profile – speakers shared insights on how they developed a biosecurity profile, how they linked into their GIA commitments, and, in particular, how they gained buy-in from their membership. 

The last session looked at how to get mandate. Attendees heard from a number of Signatories who had been through the mandate process on what’s needed to be done, options for representation and funding, and how some groups approached defining a sector, including talking about options for sectors joining up for GIA purposes.

The day concluded with attendees considering an action list of the next steps required in the process.

Industry speakers included Barry O’Neil - KVH, Carol Barnao - Dairy NZ, Hort NZ’s Biosecurity Manager Richard Palmer, Michael Ahern - Onions New Zealand CEO, Gisele Irvine - Market Access Solutionz, Philippa Rawlinson - Federated Farmers and Nick Pyke - FAR spoke, who about their CRR project.