SPEECH NOTES: HON JOHN LUXTON
Opening of the MAF National Technical Training Centre
Auckland, International Mail Centre 18 November 1999 (check against delivery)
It is my pleasure to be with you today to open the National Technical Training Centre.
The New Zealand economy relies heavily on trade in products derived from our natural resources and biological production
systems. The Government's biosecurity policies and strategies are designed to protect and enhance New Zealand's precious
environment. Our unique environment has made New Zealand one of the world's most beautiful countries and our diverse
flora and fauna are a significant factor in our multi-million dollar tourist industry.
While New Zealand's geographical isolation confers a level of protection, our border is a dynamic situation and risks
are changing all the time. With growing trade and increasing tourist numbers each year, the level of risk has obviously
grown, but so has MAF's ability to deal with it.
MAF operates a highly sophisticated and internationally recognised border protection service. The development and use of
sophisticated technologies have continued to protect New Zealand's unique biodiversity from the introduction of
potentially devastating exotic pests and diseases.
I am delighted that the MAF Quarantine Service is continuing to implement leading edge technologies to protect the
status of our environment and our food and fibre industries.
Nearly 3.5 million travellers will arrive in New Zealand this year who all present a potential biosecurity risk. They
will undergo screening for risk goods by the Quarantine Service using state of the art x-ray technology, detector dog
teams and highly skilled quarantine officers.
Over 450,000 passengers will have quarantine risk items in their possession. Of these, almost 60,000 have not declared
them.
Our detector dog training and surveillance programme provides New Zealand with another inspection tool to detect
potential fruit, meat, poultry, plant and seed risk goods at international points of entry.
Today we are here to recognise the significant milestone of the three dog teams who have each achieved 1000 high risk
quarantine seizures. That is an outstanding achievement.
The success of this programme has resulted in considerable interest from quarantine agencies around the world. And our
Quarantine Service has already run training courses for dog handlers from America and Argentina. New Zealand trained
beagles will also be actively involved in quarantine work in Australia and USA.
The current quarantine seizure detection rate (95% of fruit fly host material and 85% of meat and meat products) at
international airports has led to a disturbing change in tactic with a 300% increase in risk goods now being sent in by
mail. In response MAF have introduced new processing procedures and technology.
Today I have great pleasure in commissioning three new x-ray machines at the International Mail Centre, which will
ensure detection levels will match those at our international airports.
Most of the 63 million inward bound mail items will undergo biosecurity screening by these sophisticated machines.
Specially trained mail detector dogs complement the screening process.
Another major development is the introduction of a National Diploma in Biosecurity onto the Qualifications Framework.
The development of NZQA approved unit standards is being undertaken concurrently with the ISO17020 quality system
project. I congratulate MAF for this initiative. It not only demonstrates the technical and quality focus of the
organisation, but also affords a method of national external review and accreditation of staff and processes.
The new National Technical Training Centre, will not only deliver internal specialised technical training to Quarantine
Service staff, but will also provide for other international quarantine organisations to participate in New Zealand
programmes.
As this very moment senior quarantine staff from the USA and New Caledonia are in New Zealand receiving specialist
training.
Protecting the New Zealand primary industry sector and the environment on which much of our inbound tourism is based is
a key Government strategy. The initiatives we will see today are tangible evidence of our Government's commitment in
this area of biosecurity.
Please share with me in the events that will follow. I look forward to meeting with you personally over lunch.