July 28, 1998
* Photo Available
Possums*, goats*, rabbits* and stoats*. Brought into New Zealand in earlier times, with little thought for the consequences - these unwanted animals are now costing us millions in terms of damage to the native ecosystem and in many cases to our agricultural production.
And it's not only animals which have caused us problems. The New Zealand landscape is now over run in some areas with unwanted plants such as gorse, broom* and old man's beard*. Varieties such as ginger and lupins, originally seen as attractive additions to our gardens, have spread out of control and are now regarded as weeds.
But from 29 July 1998 there is a new law to control what sort of plants and animals people can bring into New Zealand.
That's the date that the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 comes into effect. So if you want to import a `new organism' you will now need to get approval from the Environmental Risk Management Authority - known as ERMA New Zealand.
The Authority is an independent, statutory agency of experts, set up by the Minister for the Environment, to make decisions on what can come in - and what stays out.
For the first time, New Zealand will have a comprehensive regime to assess the impact of all new organisms, before they are brought in. The role of the Authority is to decide if they represent a threat to the environment, or to public health and safety. The emphasis will be on assessing the risks of introduction - and then weighing up the costs and benefits to the environment, the economy and society.
Under the HSNO Act, a `new organism' is a new species coming into New Zealand for the first time: for example, a breed of fish for marine farming*, an exotic new zoo animal or a new type of fruit. A new organism could also be a plant or animal developed in New Zealand through genetic engineering, for example, a species of pine tree genetically modified to improve wood strength and growth rate.
The Act also puts an outright ban on some animals, including:
- Any snake of any species;
- Any venomous reptile;
- Beavers, gerbils, prairie dogs, moles and cane toads.
It also prohibits a number of plants. These include:
- Moreton Bay chestnut; black bean;
- All species of cynanchum e.g. Indian swallowart;
- All species of loranthaceae e.g. mistletoes.
ERMA New Zealand Chief Executive, Dr. Bas Walker, says the legislation overcomes a number of gaps in the current system and provides strict controls and penalties.
"The story of New Zealand is a history of decisions made to bring plants and animals here that were alien to the local ecosystem. As a result, we have ended up with a vastly modified landscape, and with a rate of extinction of native species that is alarming by international standards - and with a legacy that is costing us dearly in terms of pest and weed control."
"I think we can all see the danger of letting even more species into New Zealand if they are likely to have these effects. On the other hand, most of our primary production is based on the management of introduced species - the most obvious examples are sheep and grass. There is a significant economic dimension. The role of the Authority will be to weigh up the costs and benefits - and come to a conclusion that makes sense for the future."
So what does it mean in practice?
Under the new law, no one will be able to import, develop, field test or release a new organism without the approval of ERMA New Zealand.
Any organism that is already legally present in New Zealand, at the time the Act commences, will not need approval.
But importers of new plant species - tree crops, fruit or vegetable varieties, herbs, flowers, seeds, or bulbs - will be affected. So will anyone who wants to bring in a new animal - anything from emus, circus or zoo animals, cats, birds, fish, or reptiles, to insects for biological control,
The first thing to do is check with ERMA New Zealand staff if what you want to do is covered by the Act - and if so, make a formal application. Applicants will need to show the likely impacts of their proposal and explain why the benefits might outweigh the costs and risks. Many applications are likely to be straight forward and will be processed quickly, within the time frame set down in the Act.
The cost will depend on how complex the proposal is, and could vary from $750 for a standard non-notified application, to $2,500 for a notified application and $6,300 a day for a public hearing.
Importers of plants and animals will also need to meet the requirements of existing legislation such as the BioSecurity Act and the Resource Management Act.
Bas Walker says that ERMA New Zealand will be doing everything it can to avoid bureaucratic hold ups with the application process.
"Our whole aim here is to assess the risks, and to focus only on those things which have potentially significant effects. For many importers, there will be minimal risks to consider and the application process will be quite simple. However, for those proposals that pose a potential threat to the environment, there is now a public process to go through and this will mean providing information and talking it through. It is in the interest of all of us to effectively evaluate new species before we let them go into the New Zealand environment."
For further information contact:
Karen Cronin,
Manager Communications.
Phone: 04 496 4826 or 386 2359
Dr. Bas Walker
Chief Executive
ERMA New Zealand
Phone. 04 473 8426
or email to: enquiries@ermanz.govt.
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List of Photographic images available from ERMA New Zealand.
These images are also available on the INL editorial hub in the ERMA New Zealand folder. Contact Ewan Herriot PH 0 4 496 9877.
Plants
- Chilean flame creeper tropaeolum speciosum - beautiful close up, red flowers, pic taken on State Highway 30
- Old man's beard clematis vitalba - beautiful close up, full white flower
- Broom chordospartium muritai papilionaceae - close up of flower
- Pinus contorta - pic taken on Army Land, Waiouru - pinus that survived even burning
Animals
- Possum - close up, eating native tree
- White tail deer - shot of female, head and shoulders
- Stoat - close up shot, in bush
- Feral goat - backlit, young white goat on ridge
- Wild tabby cat - close up of face in grass
- Mynah bird - close up of head
- Ferret - taken in snow, McKenzie country. Close up
- Magpies - 2 in a pine tree. Close up profiles
- Brown trout - close up with teeth
- Rabbit - close up, chewing grass
- Catfish - close up, being held in hand, with its mouth open and spiny whiskers
- Sheep - grazing in classic New Zealand green field, next to sea, blue sky, lambs
- Crocodile - close up with teeth glinting
- Starling - sitting on fence wire, good sharp image, blue sky background
- Canada goose - sharp image, on water, full body shot.