Border Management Boosted By New Positions

Friday 23 August 2002

Border Management Boosted By New Positions

MAF Biosecurity's Border Management Group - responsible for setting biosecurity standards for entry of goods and people into New Zealand - is about to benefit from a major expansion in staff and the appointment of its first Director.

Neil Hyde, formerly the Director of MAF Quarantine Service, takes up his new appointment from this month.

Mr Hyde headed the MAF Quarantine Service from 1988 until this year. "Leading MAF Quarantine Service was an extremely satisfying job. As seen through the recent TV series Border Patrol the work of the frontline staff of the Quarantine Service largely goes unnoticed, yet its their dedication and expertise in keeping out unwanted pests and diseases which helps to protect New Zealand's economy and environment.

"Not many people realise that MAF Quarantine Service is by far the largest part of MAF. It has more than 500 officers, assistants, scientists, vets, administration staff and other business and operational specialists. This is a 24 hour-a-day, seven day a week nationwide operation, underpinned by teamwork and a quality-driven culture.

"I see my new role as Director of Border Management with MAF Biosecurity as an extension to and further development of my career to date. The ability to continually enhance and improve our standards and systems is a hugely important facet of our national biosecurity, now and for the future. It's how we have achieved one of the best biosecurity programmes in the world and we are all certainly committed to growing that reputation further," said Neil Hyde.

Barry O'Neil, MAF Biosecurity Group Director, has welcomed the addition of Neil Hyde's breadth and depth of experience. "Not only are we gaining someone who has been a key player in the development of our quarantine programme, we are also broadening our team of advisers, analysts, researchers and operational specialists".

"With the addition of new capabilities and a threefold increase of staff, our Border Management Group is now in a much stronger position to take the management of our border biosecurity issues another step further, which bodes well for the future," he said.

Amongst Neil Hyde's wealth of international experience he has chaired the Trans Tasman Consultative Group on Biosecurity Cooperation, assisted MAF's UK equivalent (DEFRA) to develop strategies for biosecurity risks at airports, and has worked on global harmonisation and automation of passenger processing with a working group of the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

He is currently a member of the NZ Society for Risk Management, the Tomorrows Cargo Logistics Group and the Strategic Planning Society. His qualifications include a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Henley Management College (UK).

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