Health Act 1956

Quarantine

109: Infected baggage, cargo, or stores

You could also call this:

"What to do with belongings that might spread a serious disease"

If you have something like baggage or cargo that might spread a quarantinable disease, a medical officer of health or a health protection officer can take action. They can do things and give directions as prescribed by regulations under the Health Act 1956. This means they can tell you what to do with the infected item to stop the disease from spreading.

The medical officer of health or a health protection officer cannot enter your home without permission. They have to follow the rules and respect your private space.

If you do not follow the directions given by the medical officer of health or a health protection officer, you can get in trouble. You might commit an offence against the Health Act 1956 and have to pay a fine of up to $10,000. If you keep disobeying the directions, you can be fined an extra $500 for each day you do not comply.

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This page was last updated on 24 May 2025

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM307721.

108: Persons suffering from quarantinable disease, or

"What happens if you're sick with a quarantinable disease when arriving in New Zealand"

110: Disinfection and fumigation of craft, or

"Keeping boats clean to stop the spread of diseases"

Part 4Quarantine

109Infected baggage, cargo, or stores

If the medical officer of health or a health protection officer believes that a quarantinable disease is likely to be spread by any baggage, bedding, cargo, clothing, drink, equipment, food, linen, luggage, stores, water, or other substance or thing that is on or has been removed from a craft, he or she may do any thing, and give any directions, in respect of it prescribed by regulations under this Act.
Subsection (1) does not empower the medical officer of health or a health protection officer to enter a private dwellinghouse.
A person who fails to comply with a direction under subsection (1)—
commits an offence against this Act; and
is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 and, if the offence is a continuing one, to a further fine not exceeding $500 for every day on which it has continued.

Notes

Section 109: replaced, on 19 December 2006, by section 11 of the Health Amendment Act 2006 (2006 No 86).
Section 109(3)(b): amended, on 1 July 2013, by section 413 of the Criminal Procedure Act 2011 (2011 No 81).