Wagner Nicky: Customs and Excise Amendment Bill (No 3) — First Reading 
Wagner Nicky: Customs and Excise Amendment Bill (No 3) — First Reading 
[Volume:644;Page:14001] 
NICKY WAGNER (National) 
: 
 I rise to speak to the Customs and Excise Amendment Bill (No 3). National supports this bill. However as an assistant spokesperson on the environment I want to focus on some of the concerns I have about the part of the bill that deals with ad hoc arrivals and departures to and from ports and airports and how this could affect biosecurity risks. Generally speaking except for exceptional circumstances such as violent weather or navigation-related issues all craft arriving at and departing from New Zealand have to access designated customs-places. However in recent years there has been demand for craft both commercial and recreational to arrive at non-designated places. This bill makes it easier for the chief executive officer of the Customs Service to improve ports and airports for arrivals at and departures from places that are not usual customs-places on an ad hoc basis.  
The chief executive officer may approve these places subject to any conditions that he or she feels are relevant and in consultation with border control authorities such as the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry the Civil Aviation Authority the Ministry of Health Maritime New Zealand and any other department of State whose operations may in the chief executive officer’s opinion be affected by the granting of an authorisation.  
Although National agrees that this provision makes good sense—particularly if we are hoping to minimise the effects of energy use and emissions for transportation—National wants to be assured that these provisions will in no way increase biosecurity risks. New Zealand’s isolated geological history our unique flora and fauna and our economic dependence on primary industries mean that we are particularly vulnerable to pests weeds and diseases from overseas. The social and economic consequences of biosecurity breaches are huge. Didymo which is already destroying our beautiful mountain rivers is expected to cost $285 million and the varroa bee mite which has infested hives throughout the North Island and is beginning to enter the South Island will cost $661 million. A foot-and-mouth outbreak could be disastrous for our country and could cost up to $10 billion.  
Right now under the designated customs-places policy with limited entry points barely a week goes by without a biosecurity breach. There have been 227 incursions in the last 5 years. As I come from the South Island didymo is one of the ones that upsets me. When we see the streams of toilet paper - like growths in our once pristine southern rivers it breaks our hearts. It is suspected that didymo was introduced by overseas fishermen who carried the infestation in their waders. Those are the types of people who may like to fly to a non-designated airport for recreational reasons and unless the chief executive officer of the Customs Service is extremely well organised and diligent they could well pose an increased biosecurity risk to our country.  
Similarly New Zealand is under threat from marine infestations with 150 non-indigenous marine species now identified in New Zealand waters. Although they are mostly benign recent infestations such as seaweed  
Undaria 
 and the sea squirt are a serious threat to our marine environment. I would like to be assured by the chief executive officer of the Customs Service that he is well aware of these dangers of further infestations. New Zealand waters are at present free of many of the world’s most renowned marine pests and we must ensure that that continues.  
In conclusion I say that National supports the bill’s referral to the select committee but with a plea that the issues concerning the management of biosecurity and health risks around the use of non - customs-places—ports and airports—can be well canvassed and vigorously debated. Our country and its water are at risk. 
Bill read a first time. 
Bill referred to the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee.