News and events
The Biosecurity Taranaki team have been out and about in the community promoting biosecurity. Read about some of the more recent events and to keep in touch, read the latest Biosecurity Taranaki newsletter, Biosecurity Matters.
Biosecurity Matters
Biosecurity Matters is a quarterly newsletter with all the latest news about Biosecurity Taranaki.
Read about our partner Taranaki Catchment Communities (TCC) and their project manager Paul Turner, how to check, clean, dry and protect our lakes, bird flu, aquatic pests and Aotearoa's wallaby challenge.
In this first edition, read about Biosecurity Taranaki's chair Willy Harvey, our presence at the Centuria Taranaki Garden Festival, a new invasive weed found in Taranaki and more.
To sign up to receive the quarterly newsletter email biosecurity@trc.govt.nz.
Biosecurity in bloom: Biosecurity Taranaki supporting world-renowned garden show
A variety of weather conditions did not stop garden lovers visiting the Biosecurity Taranaki stands at the globally recognised Centuria Taranaki Garden Festival, in November.
The regional biosecurity collaboration, Biosecurity Taranaki, was hosted at four of the gardens to share the importance of good biosecurity and discuss what people can do to manage biosecurity risks.
Visitors were excited to hear what the collaboration was doing for the region and incredibly supportive of the vision and purpose – to build a biosecurity network that is proactive in safeguarding Taranaki’s unique environment, economy and way of life from the threat of pests and disease.
Many biosecurity flyers, pest ID guides, and Biosecurity Taranaki merchandise were handed out, and people signed up to receive the quarterly newsletter. The team were visited by people not only from around New Zealand, but also from Australia, South Korea and Sweden.
Willy Harvey, Biosecurity Taranaki’s Chair, said, “this was a very successful event for the collaboration because it enabled us to engage effectively with an important target audience, home gardeners, and offer tools to support building capability.”
Biosecurity Taranaki Chair, Willy Harvey and Suzy Connolly, Senior Adviser Aquatic Readiness, Biosecurity New Zealand at the Centuria Taranaki Garden Festival earlier this month.
Strengthening preparedness in the plant sector
In June, Biosecurity Taranaki co-hosted a Plant Pass workshop that was attended by nurseries, community groups and iwi and councils.
Find out more about Plant Pass
Held at Pukeiti in Taranaki, the event highlighted how the need for good biosecurity in the plant sector has never been more critical. The purpose of the day was to motivate plant producers, buyers, funders and influencers to join the Plant Pass network, thereby safeguarding their own operations as well as Aotearoa from the threat of pests, weeds and pathogens.
As well as learning about the voluntary Plant Pass scheme, attendees participated in a readiness and response exercise that generated insight into potential impacts of a biosecurity incursion and why participants should protect nurseries and supply chains by becoming certified under the voluntary Plant Pass scheme.
The workshop fostered a sense of purpose among all participants, paving the way for a more secure and resilient plant sector in Taranaki. Excellent feedback was received and Biosecurity Taranaki’s Chair, Willy Harvey, said “Today’s workshop has been a testament to the power of vibrant collaboration. We’ve not only shared knowledge but also forged new partnerships and ignited a collective passion for plant biosecurity in Taranaki.”
Willy Harvey - Chair, Biosecurity Taranaki and Jacinta Harrop - Extension Coordinator, Plant Pass.
New regional biosecurity collaboration – Biosecurity Taranaki
Biosecurity Taranaki was formally launched at an event in New Plymouth in March 2024. Local MPs, iwi, hapū, industry group leaders, government agencies, local government, businesses and community groups came together to celebrate the new collaboration as a milestone for safeguarding the region from the threat of pests, weeds and diseases.
Keynote speaker, Stuart Anderson, Deputy Director-General Biosecurity New Zealand, said the launch of Biosecurity Taranaki marked a pivotal milestone for the region. “Biosecurity New Zealand will work with Biosecurity Taranaki and its members to build a community of biosecurity champions who will advocate for, and take action to, ensure the very best biosecurity outcomes, protecting this incredible region. Working together we are stronger – this is biosecurity in action.”
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Upcoming events
| 30 November – 1 December 2024 | Stratford A&P Show |
| 15 January | Marina market |