B3 science

Better Border Biosecurity aims to develop new approaches and tools to ensure harmful organisms are kept out of New Zealand, or, if they do manage to enter, are eradicated before establishing permanent populations. The programme covers everything from bacterial and viral diseases to weeds and pests.

Each of the five research providers involved brings detailed knowledge of their sector, allowing the programme to utilise a range of expertise, equipment and resources to achieve four broad outcomes.

The first outcome is aimed at protecting New Zealand's primary production. Researchers are designing methods for predicting what new pests of agriculture, forestry, horticulture and cropping are likely to arrive here, and what impacts they might have. Others are developing tools and techniques for excluding and intercepting biosecurity risks, and for containing and eradicating any which do make into the country. The human dimensions of these biosecurity technologies will be critical for their success.

The second outcome involves developing new biosecurity technologies which are applicable to a diversity of sectors.

The third outcome is similar to the first, but aims to protect native ecosystems, rather than the productive sector.

The fourth outcome is conducting research to help the Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA) to better assess the risks involved with intentional importations of living organisms.