Pest introduction - Control - New Zealand

Date: 21 May 2008

From: MAF Biosecurity New Zealand oral history project

By: Brown, Peter Dennis, 1938-

Reference: OHInt-0975-05

Description: Interview with Peter Brown, born in Takapuna in 1938. Refers to growing up in Takapuna and Devonport, and attending Mt Albert Grammar School to study agriculture. Talks about his early interest in farming and outlines his early career in farming, as an ambulance driver, and having a milk run. Discusses becoming a Port Agriculture Officer in 1966 and the long hours worked between airport, town office and shipping duties. Describes their uniforms. Refers to staff training through short training courses at research stations around the country as well as in-house training. Comments that the people initially employed had a horticultural or agricultural background, and later people with higher education levels were hired. Talks about Mary Middleton, the first woman Agricultural Officer in Auckland, and how her presence changed the atmosphere at work. Describes post office mail inspection. Talks about inspecting ships and sealing any foreign meat while ships were in port. Mentions the early practice of dumping ships' rubbish beyond Rangitoto, and naval garbage going to a pig farm until an incinerator was built after an outbreak of swine fever. Comments on procedures for inspecting produce ships from the Islands, and on the risk of fruit fly introduction with the freeing up of trade. Refers to procedures when (potential) pests were found in incoming produce. Mentions training at the fumigation centre in Tinley Street, and writing a manual on resuscitation and first aid which was added to the staff procedures manual. Comments on checking imported cars and machinery, teaching Army personnel in Singapore how to clean their vehicles before bringing them back to New Zealand, and checking Australian Army vessels during joint exercises at Great Barrier Island. Discusses the shift work meeting international flights during the night, processing incoming passengers, the different types of food various nationalities would try to bring in, and the advent of amnesty bins. Refers to the introduction of dogs, and mentions special treatment for VIPs. Talks about disinfection of aircraft (including Air Force One), changes in procedures over the years, and passengers not liking being sprayed. Comments on disposal of food and garbage from incoming planes. Refers to the setting up of an office at the Mangere Airport cargo terminal as air freight increased, and the process for clearing cargo. Mentions dealing with race horses arriving by air, as well as their owners, trainers and drugs. Refers to zoo animals coming in and the Auckland zoo being a quarantine zoo. Discusses checking export produce and issuing phytosanitary certificates, the need to keep up to date with the requirements of importing countries, and manager Travis Flint's ability to find pests. Remembers co-workers Alf Davis, Charlie Cooper, Neil Hyde, Don Possin, Albert Tolliday and others. Explains that he left the Service in 1989 because of the bureaucracy and the difficult rosters and hours worked. Interviewer(s) - Megan Hutching Accompanying material - Photocopies of handwritted roster schemes for Port Agriculture Officers at Auckland International Airport, 1966, 1968, 1988 (4 p.), with printed abstract Accompanying material - Scanned images of: job advertisement for Port Agricultural Officers and letter Peter Brown received in response to his application asking for more information; Peter Brown's fumigation operator's certificate; Peter Brown's qualification to issue phytosanitary certificates; letter Peter Brown received in 1988 agreeing to his early retirement when MAF was restructured. Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHDL-001098 Quantity: 1 digital sound recording(s) digital sound recording(s). 1 Electronic document(s) - abstract. 1 printed abstract(s). 4 electronic scan(s) of original black and white photographic print(s) - scans of documents. 1 interview(s). 3 Hours Duration. Physical Description: Sound files - wave files; Textual files - Microsoft word Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete OHDL-001099, OHA-7300. Search dates: 1938 - 2008

Date: 2000-2009

By: MAF Biosecurity New Zealand; Marlborough District (N.Z.). District Council; New Zealand. Department of Conservation; New Zealand. Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries; Waikato Regional Council; Wellington (N.Z.). City Council

Reference: Eph-A-PEST-2000/2009

Description: Comprises ephemera relating to pests and weeds, and their eradication in New Zealand from 2000 to 2009. Title supplied by Library. Quantity: 1 folder(s) containing 51 pieces of ephemera.

Date: 2010-2019

By: MAF Biosecurity New Zealand; Nelson (N.Z.). City Council; New Zealand. Ministry for Primary Industries; Waikato Regional Council

Reference: Eph-A-PEST-2010/2019

Description: Comprises ephemera relating to pests and weeds, and their eradication in New Zealand from 2010 to 2019. Title supplied by Library. Quantity: 1 folder(s) containing 59 pieces of ephemera.

Date: 2014

From: Moreu, Michael, 1969-: [Digital cartoons published in the Christchurch Press and Fairfax Media]

Reference: DCDL-0030381

Description: Shows a fisherman at a river reading a sign which cautions visitors: Do not eat the toxic trout; do not drink the polluted water; do not step on the rock snot; do not touch the poison bait everywhere; but then encourages them to 'enjoy your stay in clean, green NZ!' Refers to the discrepancy between New Zealand's environmental challenges and the image pushed by tourism New Zealand. Specific references are to the contamination of trout by 1080 and to the growth of 'Didymo' (Didymosphenia geminata) in New Zealand rivers. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).

Date: 2012

From: Smith, Ashley W, 1948- :[Digital cartoons published in the Shipping Gazette, MG Business, or Presto]

By: New Zealand shipping gazette (Periodical)

Reference: DCDL-0022913

Description: Shows two Biosecurity men bursting into ahouse to ask a woman if the large snake next to her is dead. she replies yes and says it was killed by the scorpion on the bookshelf. Context: Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) released figures showing that 546 serious biosecurity hazards occured in last four years including a diamond python and a marbled scorpion (Stuff 17 August 2012). Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).

Date: 1946

From: Maps relating to Pongakawa Rabbit District and Wairakei

By: Adams, Colin, active 1942-1966

Reference: MapColl-832.16gcrc/1946/Acc.57250

Description: An unpublished map from 1946, of the Auckalnd Land District Tauranga County showing existing Pongokawa Rabbit District, and the area to be added to the Pongakawa Rabbit District. Boundary marked in red indicates the proposed addition, boundary in green shows the top segment of the current Pongakawa Rabbit District. Manuscript annotations in red and green ink. In black ink, reads "[W Shaill?] 14.10.46". Title taken from item. Quantity: 1 map(s) single-sided. Physical Description: Paper photocopy; 36.5 x 45.5 cm.

Date: 08 Nov 2011 - 9 Dec 2012

From: Owen, Dylan, 1958-: Photographs

Reference: PADL-000826

Description: Comprises photographs taken between 8 November 2011 to 9 December 2012 by Dylan Owen of infastructure designed to improve the environment. Includes scenes taken in Wellington region, the Electric Vehicles Charging Station on Featherston Street, a possum trap on a tree and an empty ground predator trap in Wainuiomata bush, the recycle bins at the Wellington City rubbish dump, sign 'Health Warning Sewer Outfall' beside coast, Titahi Bay, rail bridge over stream leading to train tunnel and train shed next to turnpoint in Orongorongo Wainui water catchment area, birds at Waiwhetu Stream (stream with new concrete banks), and a high angle view of the predator wire fence around Zealandia, Karori. Includes interiors and exterior views of second hand goods on display and the recycle bins, Wanaka Recycling Centre. Arrangement: Files delivered to library within a folder called "Environment 2012" Quantity: 13 digital photograph(s).

Date: 2016

By: New Zealand. Ministry for Primary Industries; Hutching, Megan Alannah, 1957-

Reference: OHColl-1262

Description: Oral history project exploring the history and development of New Zealand's biosecurity services, including the work of the Port Agriculture Inspection Service and its various successor entites which operated under the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Ministery of Agriculture and Forestry, and Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) between 1960 and circa 2000s. Oral history interviews conducted by Megan Hutching with interviewees: Jan Culy, Myra Hampton, John Hellstrom, Richard Ivess, and Tom Smith. Interviews focus on the working lives of the interviewees, and examine changes in the New Zealand government biosecurity methods and services over time. Title supplied by Library. Related to oral history project held at Library reference OHColl-0975 which was undertaken between 2008 to 2009 when Biosecurity NZ was part of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF). Also related to the "Plant and animal quarantine" web feature on the website NZHistory.net.nz which was commissioned by MPI (see Plant and animal quarantine', URL: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/politics/plant-and-animal-quarantine, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 6-Oct-2021). This oral history project is related to a history project undertaken to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Port Agriculture Inspection Service in 2010. From 1892-1960 plant and animal health inspectors worked for the Department of Agriculture as a decentralised workforce. In 1960 the Port Agriculture Service was established as a separate unit within the ministry. In following years the unit underwent various reorganisations and name changes, and operated under both the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (1972-1998) and Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (1998-2012). The sucessor entity, Biosecurity NZ, was established within the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) in 2004. Its policy and delivery arms were reunited in 2007 under MAF. In 2012 MAF was renamed as Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI). Biosecurity New Zealand was formed as a separate business unit within MPI in 2018. The interviewees in this project worked for both MAF and MPI and its predeccessors. Quantity: 5 Interview(s). 27 Electronic document(s) forms, abstracts, and supporting documentation. 23 digital sound recording(s). 3 folder(s) forms, project summary, and supporting documentation. 1 digital photograph(s). Search dates: 2016