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Date: 18 Apr 2008

From: MAF Biosecurity New Zealand oral history project

By: Mooney, Brian Denis Simon, 1957-

Reference: OHInt-0975-15

Description: Interview with Brian Mooney, born in Alexandra in 1957. Refers to being raised in Clyde and Hamilton, and his father being a lawyer and then a magistrate. Talks about working for the New Zealand Forest Service after he left school, spending two years at Kaingaroa Forest training as a Woodsman Cadet. Comments on having a year off work after a bad motorcycle accident and later being sent to Tawarua Forest (Te Kuiti) to learn supervision. Mentions working at Aupouri Forest, Kaitaia for a year and then in the Thames Regional Office of the Forest Service where one of his tasks was collecting native seeds. Describes work in the Tairua Forest near Whangamata 1980-1985 planting kauri and supervising tree thinning. Comments on living in single men's camps at each forest and on camp life. Talks about becoming a Timber Inspection and Preservation Officer in Mt Maunganui in 1985, and the training he received in entomology, mycology and wood techology. Discusses his work inspecting export logs and timber, timber mills and preservation plants, as well as timber packaging on ships coming in. Mentions the port was focused on exports. Refers to the development of his passion for quarantine, especially import quarantine. Mentions dealing with termites which had arrived on Australian power poles. Comments on the merger of the Ministries of Forestry and Agriculture in 1987 and the culture change for Forestry staff. Talks about learning new skills after the merger of the Port Inspection Service and the Timber Inspection Service and the job becoming more complex. Refers to moving to Auckland in 1990 where his work became focused on imports. Mentions the shift to containerisation, working with people and the difference from working with exports. Describes in detail the chain of processes for importers on the wharf, and MAF and Customs having separate processes. Compares methods for inspecting an incoming ship as a timber inspector and later as a quarantine officer, and the problems with developing common procedures. Talks about agricultural risks for New Zealand, container standards and searching, and importer lobby groups. Refers to white spotted tussock moth and painted apple moth, the costs of incursion emergencies, and MAF (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry) being manager driven. Comments that Customs and MAF need more communication at all levels. Mentions pre-clearance on passenger and cruise liners, the risk of passenger items, and detector dogs. Describes the importance of the staff uniform. Comments on changes in attitudes to and opportunities for women in the service since the merger with MAF. Refers to the ethnic make up of staff, and to the TV programme Border Patrol. Mentions colleagues including Des Ogle, Neil Hyde, Pat Marsh, Len Greaves and David Grimshaw. Reflects on his deep passion for quarantine, and on the need to save New Zealand coming before staff and management. Interviewer(s) - Megan Hutching Accompanying material - copy of booklet "Taking pines to pasture: merging of the Ministries of Agriculture and Forestry (Cases in public sector innovation, no. 10, published by Victoria University of Wellington through Victoria Link, 2001.); with printed abstract Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHDL-001102 Quantity: 1 digital sound recording(s) digital sound recording(s). 1 printed abstract(s). 1 interview(s). 2.44 Hours and minutes Duration. Physical Description: Sound files - wave files Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete OHA-7310. Search dates: 1957 - 2008

Date: 06 Apr 1957

Reference: OHColl-0640/1

Description: Recording of the opening ceremony of the Linden School Baths, 06 April 1957. Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHD10-0098 Quantity: 1 disc(s) LP record. 1 event(s). Finding Aids: Abstract Available - no abstract(s) available. Search dates: 1957