Monthly Bulletin

June/July 2025

This semi-regular update from the GIA Secretariat is intended to provide a general overview of the key matters considered by GIA governance bodies in the preceding month. It is not intended to communicate formal decisions by any of the parties, nor everything that happens within GIA. If there are any questions, or further information is required please contact steve.rich@gia.org.nz

Plant Biosecurity Council (PBC): 9 June
The Plant Biosecurity Council met on 9 June with the following matters discussed:

Emerging biosecurity risks including BNZ’s bacterial wilt risk review, reports of an unidentified stink bug in South Korea, and Australian management of Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus
A meeting with United Fresh and an update on its fruit fly movement controls work.
MPI surveillance programme
Plant Health and Environment Laboratory project update and next steps.
Biosecurity NZ’s readiness prioritisation framework
Ways of improving alignment of biosecurity communications and the possible development of a generic communications guide
Update on the science sector reforms and B3 project activities.
Horizon Europe funding opportunity
Reflection on the lessons learnt discussion at the last DGG meeting.
Updates from various Operational Agreement councils and working groups including pollination services, Fruit Fly Council, BMSB Council, Xylella Action Group, Lepidoptera Working Group, and others.
Governance matters including upcoming PBC Chair vacancy and Terms of Reference updates.

Fruit Fly Council (FFC): 17 June
The Fruit Fly Council met on 17 June, with the following matters discussed:

The Council agreed on extending the current strategy to 2030 with minor changes
The Council approved two representatives to attend the Australian Fruit Fly Symposium in Brisbane on 17 & 18 of September 2025
A preliminary debrief was presented to the Council by MPI’s response team, and an opportunity was identified to align the Council’s work programme with the response team and its service provider
The 24/25 Readiness Work Programme was noted with a routine progress update on Other Flies work, Fruit Fly impact on NZ indigenous plants & domestic movement. The lessons learned workshop project was agreed as closed.
The 25/26 draft Readiness Work Programme was agreed, with two new initiatives confirmed:
- A regional response workshop to be held in Napier on 9 October 2025.
- The Technical Standards review with scoping to be presented to the Council in November.
The annual planning meeting will be held in Wellington on 11 November 2025.

The GIA Deed Governance Group (DDG): 18 June
Key matters discussed were:

Consideration and approval of the 2025/26 work programme and budget, including both core work and priority projects for the Secretariat, which include.
The Māori engagement pilot
Agreement to progress guidance on setting response fiscal caps
Work on the information repository.
Finalisation of the PIBC model and initiation of public/private benefit assessment model development.
Agreement to scope a potential Deed review ahead of the November 2025 meeting.
Noting of the inclusion of a Response Guide and Compensation Guide in the work programme.
Approval of a CPI-based club share adjustment, and agreement to review alternative indices for future years.
Preliminary agreement on industry valuations
Formal election of Leanne Stewart as incoming DGG Chair, effective 1 July 2025.
Thanks to Dave Harrison, as the outgoing Chair, for his efforts in his four years in the role
Confirmation of the next DGG meeting on 13 November 2025 in Rotorua, with partner site visits to follow.

GOL Board: 30 June
The following key matters discussed:

The outcome of the 18 June 2025 Deed Governance Group meeting. The Board noted that approval to the work programme and budget enables invoicing of the first tranche and provides funding certainty for the new financial year.
Dave Harrison resigned as Chair and Director of GOL with effect 30 June 2025. Leanne Stewart was unanimously elected as the new Chair, effective 1 July 2025. The Board noted that a director vacancy now exists and requested the Secretariat bring back recommendations for the appointment process.
The Board formally thanked Dave Harrison for his leadership and contribution over the past four years.
The next Board meeting is scheduled for 12 August 2025 and will include engagement with Australian visitors.

Bees Operational Agreement (OA): 2 July
Executive Summary of outcomes of a meeting on 2 July 2025 among parties with an interest in the effect of bee disease response on the movement of bee hives.

Parties agreed in principle to initiate a project to build a Pollination Services Continuity Plan that enables grower access to pollination services to the greatest possible extent during a bee-disease response, while being consistent with response objectives.
A budget of $30,000 was provisionally agreed and the Secretariat charged with writing a project scope.
The Secretariat will draft an OA to manage this project.
The principal output of a meeting on 22 July 2025 among parties with an interest in the effect of bee disease response on the movement of bee hives, was the approach to identify and include non-signatory beneficiaries, including beekeepers who provide pollination services and other sectors who are reliant upon pollination.
Other discussion points included benefit and cost shares, and ensuring the OA enables parties to consider future additional work if they choose.

Foot and Mouth Disease Council (FMDC): 3 July
The FMD Council held its inaugural meeting on 3 July 2025 with the following matters discussed:

The Council formally commenced, with the FMDOA commencing on 1 July 2025.
The Council Terms of Reference were agreed.
Members discussed whether to develop a formal strategy at this stage, with Council preferring to focus on progressing tangible work.
The idea of appointing a Technical Lead (or similar) was discussed. It was agreed to defer this for now but keep funding available if needed later.
The Council agreed to a communications stocktake project to tidy up and align messaging.
A compensation project was agreed in principle, as required under the FMDOA.
The workforce planning project was approved in principle. A workshop will be arranged to shape the next steps, and NZVC will be invited to participate.
Operational plans for destruction, cleaning and disinfection, disposal, and movement control will be reviewed. Leads will be assigned, and the work will be discussed again at the July meeting.
The vaccination biobank contract, which expires in January 2027. Partners will review contractual arrangements in the lead up to letting of the next contract.
A plan to review physical FMD response equipment, ahead of contractual arrangements being renewed.
Planning will begin for a multi-party FMD response exercise. The exercise will need to align with the April 2026 all of government biosecurity exercise.
The Council supported developing options to review pig traceability. This will be scoped as a discrete project, and OSPRI will be invited to a future meeting.
No work will be done on feral animal population modelling this year, but the topic will remain on the Council’s watchlist.
Members discussed resourcing pressures on smaller sectors and agreed to consider using contractors.
The updated 2025/26 provisional budget was reviewed, with $1.261 million committed so far, remaining within the $1.5 million cap.
Reinsurer access to OSPRI data was discussed. A letter of support will be drafted and circulated before being sent to OSPRI.
The next Council meeting will be scheduled for late July 2025.

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Council (BMSBC): 8 July
The BMSB Council held its second quarterly meeting on 8 July 2025 with the following matters discussed:

The Council agreed on the revised Terms of Reference, with the next annual review due in July 2026.
The Council accepted the current Chair’s resignation, effective 31 August 2025, and has initiated the process for nominating a new Chair.
The Council also discussed planning to date for the participation of Australian counterparts in the Harvest Shield Exercise 2.0 on 14 August 2025, including collaborative activities scheduled before and after the event.
The 24/25 Readiness Work Programme update was provided with the following noted:
- additional audience segments were to be added to the BMSB 2026 summer campaign, covering the motorhome/rental car pathway.
- the two projects relating to aerodynamic traps were to be closed pending final reports to come back. The aerodynamic traps were trialled in different settings across these projects to test its cost-benefit against the traditional sticky panel traps.
- progress to date on registering Novaluron for ACVM, triggers to Long Term Management, the EPA applications relating to samurai wasps, collaborative research with South Korea & the Yellow Spotted Stink Bug parasitoid testing.
The draft 25/26 Readiness Work Programme was agreed, with a reduced sum after revising the contingency figure.
The Council will deliver a BMSB simulation exercise, Harvest Shield 2.0, on 14 August 2025 in Tauranga, New Zealand.
The annual planning meeting for the Council is confirmed to take place in Wellington on 10 November 2025.

Solanaceae Biosecurity Working Group (SBWG): 21 July
The Solanaceous Biosecurity Working Group held an out-of-session discussion on 21 July 2025 to:

Consider two potential draft project proposals - the group explored options for testing the Generic Operational Specification Plan upon its finalisation, as well as developing communication platforms to raise public awareness about the risks of importing seeds through overseas online vendors.
Initial steps have been outlined, with further details to be presented to the Working Group as they become available. The Secretariat’s administrative budget will also be finalised out of session.
The next quarterly meeting is scheduled for 4 September 2025.

Foot and Mouth Disease Council (FMDC): 23 July
The FMD Council held a workshop on 23 July 2025 to discuss elements of its 25/26 work programme with the following matters discussed:

The project scopes for the Industry Workforce Planning and Compensation Review projects under the FMDOA. Discussion included the response scale scenario to be used to underpin these projects.
Members agreed that recruitment for a project lead for the Workforce Planning work will get underway shortly. A sub-committee was formed to oversee the project and contractor recruitment.
Council received a presentation on the compensation framework and various valuation options were discussed. A working group was formed to ensure specific sector circumstances are accounted for in the work.
The Foot and Mouth Disease Council meet again on 5 September 2025.

May 2025 Bulletin

April 2025 Bulletin

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July 2024 Bulletin

February 2024 Bulletin