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Media release, KE Trought, 9 December 2004 |
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New research aims to keep new pests out of New Zealand New research to develop methods and technologies that will help prevent harmful organisms invading New Zealand and damaging the country's ecosystems and agricultural base has received government funding for the next 12 years of about $70 million. The announcement regarding the new investment was made by the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology today (9 December). The research programme is called Better Border Biosecurity and forms one of the Foundation’s new outcome based investments. The research will be undertaken by an unincorporated joint venture of nine partners which includes research organisations and agencies with responsibility for the New Zealand environment. The partners are Crop & Food Research, AgResearch, HortResearch, Forest Research, the Lincoln University-based National Centre for Advanced Bio-Protection Technologies, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Department of Conservation, the Environmental Risk Management Agency and the Forest Biosecurity Research Council. Contract manager for the programme, Dr Grant Smith of Crop & Food Research, says work will focus on developing new biosecurity systems and tools for use before, at, or immediately within New Zealand’s border. “The economic cost to this country of pests like the painted apple moth arriving in New Zealand are huge. It’s estimated that the annual total cost of new insect pests to the country is around $2 billion.” This figure includes the direct costs of eradicating pests, lost opportunity costs to exporters who cannot get market access because of the pests, and costs to the environment and natural estate value of the country. “We must develop better systems and tools to protect New Zealand from these destructive pests and so we welcome additional government investment in this area of research. “The new technologies and systems which will be developed will significantly reduce this cost to the country and enhance pest detection and eradication at, or before, New Zealand’s border.” Dr Smith says the new research will strengthen existing research programmes and enhance collaborations between scientists and stakeholder groups including the Department of Conservation, ERMA, the Forest Biosecurity Research Council and MAF. The programme’s science leader, Dr Craig Phillips of AgResearch, leads an existing programme which has investment from the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology. This programme – Enhanced Biosecurity – forms the core of the new joint venture. The new tools to be developed include decision support systems to optimise biosecurity decision processes and resource allocations, new methods to manage and treat imported goods to exclude pests, and novel approaches for predicting and minimising pest risks before they reach the border. The new programme will also seek to work more closely with the Australian Cooperative Research Centre for National Plant Biosecurity. “Australia is an important pathway for pests entering New Zealand and collaborative research with them will benefit both countries,” Dr Smith says. Dr John Smart, Group Manager Investments for the Foundation, described the new programme as an excellent example of the type of collaboration which will result in the best possible outcomes for New Zealand. ends For more information contact: Dr Grant Smith Contract Manager, Better Border Biosecurity Crop & Food Research Phone 03 325 9590 Mobile 027 601 6641 Katherine Trought Communications Manager Crop & Food Research Phone 03 325 9580 Mobile 027 431 3261 |
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