New Zealand First says it is concerned by a major biosecurity breach last night at the Port of Taranaki.
A large amount of quarantined imported maize spilled onto Ocean Beach Parade and Bayly Road, ironically near the Ministry of Primary Industries offices in New Plymouth says, NZ First.
“The maize had not been cleaned up at the port but was being trucked around the country, with any unwanted seeds and diseases a danger to New Zealand,” says acting primary industries spokesperson Ron Mark.
“The government claims milling at destination will denature it, but that’s too late, as this spillage demonstrates.
“We received calls that a substantial load was lost last night, so much so, that commercial vacuum cleaners were used late into the night.
“This is deeply concerning. It highlights the weakness of biosecurity, especially when people near the site say they were warned ‘not to drive through it, in case tyres picked up maize’.
“We want assurances from the government and the ministry over how the maize was collected and disposed.
“There is a disconnect between reality and practice by Biosecurity New Zealand. The government does not understand the difference between denaturing at the port of entry and transporting cargo like this all over the country to ‘transitional facilities’.
“The loss of this load yet again highlights how amateur this government is at biosecurity because these loads are obviously not secure, and we know it is not the first spill,” says Mark.
