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Media Release |
Friday 9 September 2005
Port of Napier first to achieve ‘place of first arrival’ standard
The Port of Napier has become the first New Zealand port to achieve a tough new standard around the quarantine clearance of newly arrived vessels to New Zealand.
It’s taken 18 months of close work with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry’s Quarantine Service to achieve the new MAF Biosecurity Standard for Places of First Arrival.
Meeting the conditions of the standard has required the port to develop robust systems and processes that meet strict biosecurity criteria for vessel arrivals, port security, cargo and transitional facilities, biosecurity refuse control, passenger processing and biosecurity risk management.
MAF Quarantine Service General Manager Ken Harris says the Port of Napier is the first port in the country to be certified. By achieving this standard they have demonstrated their ongoing commitment to biosecurity.
“We applaud the commitment and effort that has gone into the development of robust biosecurity systems and facilities.
“We have enjoyed a close working relationship with the Port. They share our commitment to keeping New Zealand free of unwanted pests and diseases, now and into the future,” he says.
Under section 37(1) of the Biosecurity Act 1993, all ports must ultimately meet the 2003 MAF Biosecurity Standard: Requirements for Places of First Arrival (Ports).
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Helen Keyes, Communications Adviser, 04 474 4219 or 027 285 5715
