When:          Thursday, 29 October 2015, 9.00am - 4.00pm
Where:         Mac’s Function Centre, 4 Taranaki Street, Wellington

This event  event was an action planning workshop targeted at industry groups that have not yet signed the GIA Deed but who are working out the process of how to achieve mandate. It was focused on identifying each sector groups’ issues and barriers in the process of seeking mandate. A number of GIA partners shared their experiences of having been through the process.  

The objectives of the workshop:

• Provide participants with the tools and information to help them make a decision on whether to join GIA and understand the process to do that.
• Industry groups to work together and with facilitators to develop an action plan on how they will progress their application.

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More information:

Biosecurity Forum agenda

When: 9 am to 5.30 pm, 12 March, 2015
Where: Intercontinental Hotel, 2 Grey Street, Wellington

This event had a practical focus on: 

• Partnership in the wider biosecurity system – how will this work?
• Response decision making – lessons learned from experience, plus a practice run
• Interpreting minimum commitments – a view from MPI
• Readiness activities – and how GIA fits into what industry and MPI are doing to prepare for biosecurity risks.

The day included a mix of presentations, panel discussions and small group workshops, along with a biosecurity response exercise.

Background papers

The following papers informed discussions at the Forum: 

• GIA Response Guide
• MPI’s interpretation of the GIA minimum commitments for readiness and response
• About the yellow spotted stink bug

Forum speakers Minister Nathan Guy and Geoff Gwyn (MPI) and delegates.

When:
3 September 2014: Optional pre-Forum events
4 September 2014: GIA Biosecurity Forum 2014/II

Where:
Novotel, Auckland International Airport

This full-day event enabled GIA Deed Signatories and potential signatories to discuss and direct how GIA will work in practice. There was a mix of presentations, panel discussions and small group workshops. Topics for discussion included:

• The draft GIA Response Guide 
• Principles for cost-sharing and setting fiscal caps 
• Minimum commitments
• Operational Agreements
• Future work and outstanding issues.

Delegates attending the pre-forum events had the opportunity to learn about MPI's biosecurity operations and GIA. 

More information: 

• Download the Forum report
• Download the full agenda
  
• View the presentations

Background papers

The following papers informed discussions at the Forum:

When: 8.30 am to 5.00pm, 5 March 2014
Where: CQ Comfort and Quality Hotel, 223 Cuba Street, Wellington

The March 2014 GIA Biosecurity Forum brought MPI and primary industries together to:

• Explore the opportunities GIA offers
• Share experience and practice, with a particular focus on signing up to GIA and developing operational agreements
• Direct the work programme for implementing GIA, particularly in relation to how biosecurity responses will be managed under the new partnership, cost sharing for readiness and response activities, and what ‘engagement in the end-to-end biosecurity system’ will mean for signatories.

More information

• Download the agenda
• View presentations
• Read the Forum report

Background papers

The following papers and their recommendations will be discussed at the forum:

The first Biosecurity Forum held under the auspices of the Government Industry Agreement for Biosecurity Readiness and Response (GIA) was held on 5 September 2013 in Wellington.  It attracted more than 40 participants from across primary industries and from the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).

Presentations from industry and government speakers covered a range of topics that encouraged wide ranging discussion on the benefits of becoming a partner in biosecurity under the GIA and teased out issues for further guidance where 'the devil of implementation is in the detail'.

Chair of the Interim Governance Body, Mr David Hayes from MPI hailed the Forum a success and invited participants to the second Forum to be held in Wellington in February/March 2014.

"The Forum provides us with an opportunity to develop the GIA in the way that works for us," he said.  "Feedback from today tells us that industry organisations are keen to learn from each other's experiences as they move towards signing the Deed and negotiating an Operational Agreement."

The Forum agenda, presentations and paper can be viewed and downloaded here: