Background information

Guide to key elements of the HSNO Act

Regulatory costs

Costs of processing an application which currently apply to biological control agents can be found on the EPA website [http://www.epa.govt.nz/about-us/fees/Pages/default.aspx].

Reference to the fee structure will show that fees for a non-notified containment application are very much less than for a notified application. However, note that a non-notified application is subject to the following consideration by the EPA:

"The Authority has discretion to notify the public of receipt of applications to import new organisms into containment. The default position is that receipt of such applications will not be publicly notified, unless there is likely to be significant public interest. Therefore, such applications may be processed either by the notified or non-notified paths, depending on the nature of the application. If the application is publicly notified, then it is subject to a public consultation process."

It is unlikely that a biological control agent would be processed under 'rapid assessment' provisions except under exceptional circumstances. The criteria which need to be met for this process to be adopted are:

"To be accepted under this rapid process, you need to provide sufficient scientific information that the 'release' of the new organism meets low risk criteria in the HSNO Act. For example:

the new organism could not establish a self-sustaining population in the field (taking into account ease of eradication);
must not be capable of displacing any native species within its natural habitat; or
must not be able to breed with any native species."

In most cases the intention of releasing a biological control agent (e.g. for classical biological control) is that it would establish a self-sustaining population in the field. However, it is possible that a biological control agent intended for an inundative release could be made through this process.