Issue 6, October 2007
Good news for Germplasm - HSNO is here to help
Welcome to the sixth edition of Germplasm News. The objective of this newsletter is to provide people with an interest in importing new plants species into New Zealand with information about how to successfully engage with the Hazardous Substance and New Organisms (HSNO) Act 1996.
HSNO Act: The Next Generation........
What do the Starship Enterprise and a Vulcan landscape have to do with ERMA New Zealand and making an application to import a new organism?On the face of it, not a lot. However, that didn't stop ERMA staff from using a Star Trek theme for a recent presentation* to universities and crown research institutes (CRIs). The somewhat illogical leap was in fact illustrative of a new, more logical approach to making applications to the Agency.
The seminar to scientists from CRIs and universities was aimed at encouraging you, the applicant, to think strategically when it comes to making HSNO Act applications. That is, think big, think outside the square and think long term - not just in terms of your organisms, but also in regard to your engagement with stakeholders and particularly iwi/Māori.
Changes were made to the HSNO Act in 2003 that can make the application process a little more...logical. Rather than applying for containment approvals one species at a time, it is now possible to have broad approvals at any taxonomic level. For example, an approval was given to herbaria to import the entire plant kingdom into containment to be used as herbaria specimens. Several species with the same risk profile, i.e. Risk Group 1 bacteria, can now be included in a single application. To quote Mr Spock - 'Fascinating'. So, think big and group together like organisms (ie, those with the same risk profile) that may be relevant to your research.
Think long term as well. When planning for an approval to import a new organism, have a strategy from the lab to the marketplace and tell ERMA about it. Agency staff can help you put together the most effective application. For example, if the 'prime directive' of a research programme is the full release of a new commercial crop, a logical first step would be an approval to import into containment all the species you wish to investigate. Providing their risk profile is the same, they could be included in the one application for one low cost.
Once the glass house experiments are complete and the one or two species with potential have been identified, the next step is to apply for a field trial, conditional release or a full release. Which option is the best will depend on the amount of information you have collected and the certainty you have with regard to the risks and benefits of releasing the organism. Each step of the process allows you the opportunity to gather more information, including any information obtained from consultation with stakeholders and iwi/Māori in particular.
So when the time comes for a full release, preparing the application should not be too onerous. Tell ERMA what you want to achieve from the beginning and its staff can help you plan that strategy. ERMA can also help you with practical advice and support in working with interested parties, including whether your proposal requires consultation with Māori, and the best way to go about it. Without facts, the decision cannot be made logically.
Like it or not, the HSNO Act is now part of the science landscape. The purpose of the Act is to protect the environment and the health safety of people. It is not to suppress science and innovation. So don't let it limit your research. Build HSNO Act requirements and any consultation costs into your research programme and funding proposals. And come and talk to us - we are not as scary as you think!
Live long and prosper.
*The full presentation can be viewed on ERMAs website at http://www.ermanz.govt.nz/news-events/speeches.html
CONTACT:
Geoff RidleyScience Manager, New Organisms
Geoff.Ridley@ermanz.govt.nz
(04) 9184795
Brenda Pottinger
Environmental Risk Advisor, New Organisms
Brenda.Pottinger@ermanz.govt.nz
(04) 9184797