You have a duty to tell the Ministry if you see an organism that is not normally found in New Zealand. You must do this as soon as you can in the situation. This is so the Ministry can check if the organism is a risk to the country.

If you see an organism in a place where it is allowed to be, under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996, you do not have to tell the Ministry. You only have to tell the Ministry if the organism is somewhere it should not be. This helps keep New Zealand safe from organisms that could cause harm.

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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=DLM315343.

Topics:

Environment and resources > ConservationEnvironment and resources > Farming and fishingImmigration and citizenship > Border control

43: Duty to provide information, or

"Tell authorities what you know to help keep New Zealand pest-free"

45: Notifiable organisms, or

"Organisms that must be reported to help keep New Zealand safe"

Part 4Surveillance and prevention

44General duty to inform

Every person is under a duty to inform the Ministry, as soon as practicable in the circumstances, of the presence of what appears to be an organism not normally seen or otherwise detected in New Zealand.
The duty to inform does not apply in relation to an organism that is seen or otherwise detected in a place where it may lawfully be present in accordance with an approval given under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996.

Notes

Section 44: replaced, on 8 July 2003, by section 6 of the Biosecurity Amendment Act 2003 (2003 No 38).