June 2006
Just so you all know, Terry as the chairman of Ngā Kaihautū, the advisory body to the Authority, advises my bosses and therefore is under no real obligation to say nice things about me at all, so thank you Terry for your kind words.
I've been with ERMA for 11 months now and have gained a solid understanding of what my position entails and the complex role that ERMA New Zealand has.
What became clear early on was that the Hazardous Substances & New Organisms Act is a complex piece of law, but thankfully there's a sense of willingness by industry, scientists, and the community alike to work with it.
New Zealand's HSNO system is highly regarded internationally, but this doesn't mean that our ‘customers' are so praising, or that it is an easy system to implement. Our customers encompass a wide variety of people who hold vastly different views about how risk is managed, or even if risk is acceptable on any level .
The way that the Act was written means that ERMA New Zealand in a sense walks a tight rope between applicants, who are generally commercially focussed, on one side and the environmental lobby groups on the other with scientists situated somewhere between the two. Leaning too far, one way or the other means that we run the risk of upsetting one of the groups or falling short of our statutory obligations. ERMA is charged with managing risks to people and the environment and to that end Ngā Kaihautū, our own Māori Unit - Kaupapa Kura Taiao and all of you in the National Network play a vital role to ensure that we meet our kaitiaki responsibilities.
Scientists, industry representatives and Māori alike, all seem to share a desire for us to explain things to you promptly, clearly, and simply. We are committed to this concept and I hope that through this, our relationship with you continues to grow. You may not always agree with us, but I hope that you will at least know and understand why a decision has been made.
To strengthen our relationship since I joined ERMA, and these aren't my initiatives you understand, but Ngā Kaihautū and our Māori Unit have hosted a Biological Control Waananga at Hongoeka Marae in Plimmerton and a Hazardous Substances Waananga at Reehua Marae in Christchurch. Those of you who were able to attend may be able to set me straight here, but the reports that I saw relating to the wānanga were very positive from Network members, ERMA staff, Ngā Kaihautū and also from Max Suckling from the Authority.
Our Māori Unit has also held face to face hui with:
- The Wellington Tenths
- The Port Nicholson Block
- Ngāti Wairere
- Ngāti Whaatua
- Te Kootuku Whenua Consultants and
- Te Wakamotuhake o te Tai Tokerau
- As well as some applicants re their applications.
In December 2005 amendments to the HSNO Act were enacted as a result of months of work to improve the Act's workability. But the law isn't the only thing that's changing. At ERMA New Zealand we've been making progress in the way we respond to issues, the service we provide, and the relationships, like we have with you the Network that we need to maintain in order to do an excellent job. This year we've begun introducing initiatives to improve our customer service.
This is an area that I am keen to focus on over the next six to twelve months, so please share any ideas that you might have about how we can improve our organization and the services we provide.
While we cannot always solve all of the problems that are raised, we can make sure concerns reach the appropriate people, and that we act on the things we can assist with. Recently, we've been discussing the 1080 reassessment process, compliance issues for hazardous substances, and roles and responsibilities around management of new organisms, including biosecurity. We have also made some structural changes within ERMA and Linda Robinson has now been made General Manager - Māori where she ranks alongside the GM - New Organisms, and the GM - Hazardous Substances.
For completeness I feel that I should also point out that even top notch service won't make up for not achieving the purpose of HSNO. We are bound by law and therefore committed to continuing our strong legacy of comprehensive risk management, to prevent or manage the adverse effect of hazardous substances and new organisms for your health, and for the good of our country.
No reira, tena koutou, tena koutou, tena tatou katoa.