Biosecurity operational plan

We will provide education, advice, awareness, and publicity activities to landowners and/or occupiers and the public about managing pests and ensure that land occupiers are informed of their responsibilities under the CRPMP. This includes regional engagement through various means including websites, media, and public events to farm visits, field days and one-on-one interactions.

We carry out pest control operations for:

• eradication and progressive containment pests, and when control methods require special expertise (e.g., biological control),
• when coordinated control gives benefits to a specific area or region,
• where costs are recovered from land occupiers.

Control is reported on a pest-by-pest basis. Operations costs shown in this report are only the costs of specific pest control undertaken by us. Individual land occupiers also incur other expenditures to control pests to comply with the CRPMP.

We regulate by inspecting properties to ensure that rules in the CRPMP are met. The inspection programme is reviewed annually to ensure delivery of CRPMP will occur over time as are biosecurity procedures to ensure effectiveness and efficiency.

Land occupiers or other persons may be required to act where CRPMP rules dictate pests are to be controlled and/or management plans are to be prepared and submitted and/or the presence of pests is to be reported. Failing to comply with CRPMP rules can lead to enforcement action by us.

As a last resort to gain compliance, we may enforce rules in the plan under the provisions of the Biosecurity Act 1993. The enforcement process may include: 

• issue of notice of direction (Section 122 BA)
• issue of a notice of intention to act on default (Section 128 BA)
• recovery of costs of enforcement (Section 129 BA)

If a land occupier does not comply with a notice of direction, we may act on the land occupier’s behalf (act on default) and can recover from the land occupier for all costs incurred in enforcement.

Rate payers pay for the costs of inspections and control of pests to ensure the region’s economic wellbeing and natural biodiversity is protected.

Ongoing costs associated with recalcitrant land occupiers not abiding by directions given by persons authorised under Section 129 BA 1993, will be recovered from individual land occupiers. This also acts as a deterrent for those land occupiers who continually fail to comply with rules in the CRPMP particularly those who exacerbate problems which affect other land occupiers.

We fund principal measures or activities through general rates and targeted rates across the Canterbury region.

Population trend monitoring

We monitor the population trends of animal and plant pest populations to determine regional trends. Long-term trends assess CRPMP efficiency, while operational monitoring evaluates short-term control program effectiveness (1-5 years). Outcome monitoring tracks regional environmental changes over 10-20 years to determine lasting benefits, considering external factors like climate change.

The CRPMP contains rules for some pests that land occupiers are required to conduct work to meet. Biosecurity officers undertake a targeted compliance property inspection programme to ensure that these obligations are met.

Compliance inspections: Biosecurity officers conduct targeted inspections to ensure land occupiers meet their obligations. These inspections cover property pest control, respond to complaints, and inspect nurseries and outlets to prevent the sale of listed pests. Written advice is given after inspections, detailing results and any required actions for compliance.

Notice of direction: if noncompliance persists, a notice of direction is issued, directing outstanding work by a specified date.

Compliance orders: These are issued for repeated breaches, and if not followed, we can take action on behalf of the land occupier.

Enforcement: Section 128 of the Biosecurity Act 1993 allows us to carry out required work on behalf of the occupier.

Records are kept of regulatory activities undertaken annually.

• Objectives: Report on the use of regulation.
• Targets: A report is submitted annually by 30 June.
• Deliverables: A database of regulatory information is maintained and completed by 30 June each year.

Under section 78 of the Act, a regional council may, upon the written request of a land occupier, exempt any person from any requirement in any plan rule included in an RPMP. Before granting an exemption, the regional council needs to be satisfied that it will not significantly prejudice the attainment of the objectives of the CRPMP, and that:

• The requirements have been substantially complied with and that further compliance is unnecessary; or
• The action taken, or provision made in respect of the matter to which the requirement relates is as effective as or more effective than actual compliance with the requirement; or
• The prescribed requirements are unreasonable or inappropriate in a particular case; or
• Events have occurred that make the prescribed requirements unreasonable or inappropriate in a particular case.

Regional councils that approve exemptions are required to maintain a register of the number and nature of exemptions granted, which are to be available for public inspection during normal office hours (as required by section 78 of the Act).

Output: Maintain a register of the number and nature of exemptions granted.