Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Updates

17 March 2025 – Submissions have closed

The request for information (RFI) closed on 28 February. We received 85 submissions.

Information from the RFI process will help us understand what would make potential partnerships viable, and the conditions under which offers might be made.

Officials from across the Ministry for Primary Industries, the Ministry for the Environment, the Department of Conservation, and Land Information New Zealand will analyse the information and provide advice to ministers.

Ministers will then decide what opportunities there are and what next steps will be and will make public announcements later this year.

7 February 2025 – Information about Crown-owned land added

See the request for information documents

23 January 2025 – Updated question and answers, and map added

See the request for information documents

Background to this Request for Information

The Government wants to explore partnership opportunities to afforest (plant native or exotic trees) or promote native forest regeneration on Crown-owned land (excluding National Parks) that has low farming value and low conservation value.

This will:

• contribute to climate change targets
• spur economic growth through a thriving forestry and wood processing sector
• improve native biodiversity and water quality.

Government to partner with private sector to plant trees on low-value Crown land – Beehive

Agencies involved 

• Ministry for Primary Industries.
• Land Information New Zealand.
• Department of Conservation.
• Ministry for the Environment.

We sought your feedback

We opened this Request for Information (RFI) to gauge interest in the proposal and understand what would make afforesting Crown-owned land an attractive and viable opportunity.

We asked to hear your views on:

• opportunities for afforestation
• conditions and contractual arrangements that would enable you to undertake afforestation
• barriers to afforestation and what government could do to help overcome these.

Information documents

Overview: Partnering to plant trees on Crown-owned land [PDF, 609 KB]

Questions and answers about partnering to plant trees on Crown-owned land [PDF, 320 KB]

Indicative land map (high resolution) [PDF, 1.2 MB]

Publicly available information about Crown-owned land [PDF, 302 KB]

Afforestation on Crown-owned land – Cabinet paper [PDF, 1.1 MB]

Next steps after submissions close

We’ll advise interested parties of next steps in 2025.

We intend to progress with any partnership opportunities as soon as practicable. Your responses will help shape the Government’s decisions on possible opportunities and decide next steps as well as informing the commercial strategy moving forwards.

Where partnerships can be progressed under current law they will be taken forward as soon as practicable. In these circumstances, we anticipate that a second round of commercial negotiations on a site-by-site basis with interested parties may take place in 2025.

Where partners are looking for the Government to make changes to existing policy to support partnerships – such as changes to law – this will be subject to further advice from officials and decision-making by Cabinet in 2025. Any proposed changes to legislation would likely be advanced though usual parliamentary processes, including public consultation.

Responses are public information

Your response will be used by the Ministry for Primary Industries, Land Information New Zealand, Department of Conservation, and the Ministry for the Environment for their internal purposes and in advising ministers.

Note that all, part, or a summary of your response to the request for information may be published on this website.

People can also ask for copies of responses under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA says we must make the response available unless we have good reason for withholding it. Those reasons are detailed in sections 6 and 9 of the OIA.

If you think there are grounds to withhold specific information from publication, make this clear in your response or contact us, and we will take this into account when deciding whether to release the information. Reasons may include that your response discloses information that would unreasonably prejudice your commercial position or personal information.  Any decision we make to withhold information can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may direct us to release it.

All information provided will be held by the relevant Government agency in accordance with the Privacy Act.

Disclaimer

This process is not in any way binding, nor is it:

• a consideration of disposal of the land for the purpose of Part 9 of the Ngai Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998 or any other Claims Settlement Act, or
• for lessees, an application under the Land Act 1948 or the Crown Pastoral Land Act 1998, or
• an invitation, tender, or other action under section 17ZG(2)(a) Conservation Act 1987 to make an application for a concession. Your response will not be treated as an application for a concession. 

Participating in this process does not create a contract or any other legal relationship between you and the Crown. There is no obligation on the Crown to accept or advance your response.

Have your say

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is seeking feedback on proposed changes to the Animal Status Declaration (ASD) form. The ASD form was last changed in 2012. Since then, changes to our trade environment and the Bovine Tuberculosis Programme means that it’s time to update it.

On this page, you can find:

We welcome your comments about the changes to the ASD form. Submissions are open between 6 January 2025 and 31 January 2025.

Consultation document

Draft Animal Status Declaration (ASD) [PDF, 315 KB]

Related document

The current ASD form [PDF, 155 KB]

Changes that have prompted the update of the ASD form

The European Union (EU) has introduced new veterinary medicine regulations to support their actions in combating antimicrobial resistance. The regulations introduce new requirements for the import of animals and animal products from third countries, specifically prohibiting the use of antimicrobial agents administered for the sole purpose of promoting animal growth or increasing yield.

The use of antimicrobials to treat or prevent disease is not affected. For New Zealand, the requirement applies to bovine, ovine, caprine, and cervine species for human consumption. The requirements are already in place and also apply to trade within the EU.

From September 2026, MPI will be required to provide official health certificates for all animals and/or animal products exported to the EU, confirming that they meet the new rules.

To provide this certification, changes to the current Animal Status Declaration (ASD) are needed to include a declaration confirming whether animals have been treated with antimicrobial agents for the sole purpose of promoting animal growth or increasing yield. This will allow MPI to determine market eligibility and facilitate trade with the EU.

Making your submission

Submissions close at 5pm on Friday 31 January 2025.

To help make your submission, we encourage you to use our submission template.

Submission template feedback form [DOCX, 65 KB]

Email your submission to animal.products@mpi.govt.nz

While we prefer email, you can post your submission to:

New Zealand Food Safety
Ministry for Primary Industries
PO Box 2526
Wellington 6140.

What to include in your submission

Be sure to include:

• the name of the consultation document (Submission on proposed changes to the ASD form)
• your name and title
• your organisation’s name (if you are submitting on behalf of an organisation, and whether your submission represents the whole organisation or a section of it)
• your contact details (such as phone number, address, and email).

After the consultation closes

The publication date for the ASD has not been confirmed yet. MPI is working with OSPRI to confirm timelines for when the updated ASD will be issued. This includes updates to any electronic ASD.

Once the updated ASD has been issued, only the new form will be valid.

MPI is working with Beef & Lamb, DairyNZ, and the Meat Industry Association to assist with communication to farmers, processors, saleyards, and others of this change once the timelines for the update have been confirmed.

About the Animal Status Declaration form

The Animal Status Declaration (ASD) form is a vital component of the market eligibility system that underpins the Government’s ability to sign export certificates. It applies to cattle, deer, sheep, lambs, goats, ostriches, emus, horses, alpacas and llamas. A separate ASD is required for pigs.

The purpose of the ASD is to transfer key information about an animal, or group of animals, to the next person in charge of the animals, and ultimately to the processor.

Practices on farms, lifestyle blocks, and other places where food-producing animals are kept, impact on the safety and suitability of animals for processing. It can also affect the resulting animal products’ eligibility for trade. Knowledge of these practices is essential for our export trade.

The ASD also incorporates the Bovine Tuberculosis questions required by the Animal Health Board under the Biosecurity (National Bovine Tuberculosis Pest Management Plan) Order 1998. 

The Animal Status Declaration for pigs is not affected by this update.

Find out more

Animal Status Declarations

About Animal Status Declarations (ASDs) – OSPRI

Biosecurity (National Bovine Tuberculosis Pest Management Plan) Order 1998 – NZ Legislation

Submissions are public information

Note that all, part, or a summary of your submission may be published on this website. Most often this happens when we issue a document that reviews the submissions received.

People can also ask for copies of submissions under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA says we must make the content of submissions available unless we have good reason for withholding it. Those reasons are detailed in sections 6 and 9 of the OIA.

If you think there are grounds to withhold specific information from publication, make this clear in your submission or contact us. Reasons may include that it discloses commercially sensitive or personal information. However, any decision MPI makes to withhold details can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may direct us to release it.

Official Information Act 1982 – NZ Legislation

Have your say

We want your feedback on the topic of our long-term insights briefing: ‘Building future economic growth through Aotearoa New Zealand’s food and fibre sector’. Through this briefing, we want to understand how the food and fibre sector can help drive New Zealand’s economic performance to new heights and the comparative and competitive advantages that will take us there between now and 2040.

Have your say and help shape the future of New Zealand’s food and fibre system. By providing your input, you can help us make sure the topic will provide insight into the challenges, opportunities, and potential action the sector can take to significantly raise New Zealand’s economic performance.

This page tells you how to make a submission, why we chose this topic, and about long-term insights briefings in general.

Consultation document: Draft long-term insights briefing

Building future economic growth through Aotearoa New Zealand’s food and fibre sector [PDF, 581 KB]

Making a submission

Email your feedback on the draft briefing by 5pm on 31 January 2025 to ltib@mpi.govt.nz

If you are sending us a submission by email or post, we encourage you to use the submission template. 

Optional submission form template [DOCX, 120 KB]

While we prefer email, you can post written submissions to:

Chief Insights Officer
Strategy & Insights, Policy and Trade
Ministry for Primary Industries
PO Box 2526
Wellington 6140
New Zealand.

What to include in your submission

• The title of the consultation document [Building future economic growth through Aotearoa New Zealand’s food and fibre sector].
• Your name and title.
• Your organisation’s name (if you are submitting on behalf of an organisation, and whether your submission represents the whole organisation or a section of it).
• Your contact details (such as phone number, address, and email).

Why we’re interested in how the sector can raise overall economic growth

Global demand for nutrition is continuing to increase as populations grow and become wealthier and more urbanised. This creates opportunities for farmers, growers, producers, and manufacturers. Seizing these opportunities, and simultaneously becoming both more productive and more sustainable, is Aotearoa New Zealand’s challenge of the era.

However, there are now market solutions available that can help farmers, producers, and growers to successfully meet those challenges. Taking up new sustainable and more productive solutions, the food and fibre sector can further increase its already significant contribution to New Zealand’s economy and drive higher overall economic performance.

Within the food and fibre system, from production inputs, and production and manufacturing systems, through to logistics capabilities and distribution to the consumers, technology is the systems connective tissue that will unlock improved yields, increased revenues, system growth, and higher productivity.

Technology will continue to be the critical factor as farmers navigate challenges like increased input prices, extreme weather events, and global commodity price volatility. In the global macroeconomic environment, the main priority for farmers today is to take the next step to greater productivity and reap the benefits this will bring.

Given the current macroeconomic environment, the priority for farmers today is improving productivity, whether through agriculture technologies (agtech) for improving operations, biological products, or sustainable practices.

[McKinsey, Global Farmer Insights 2024, October 2024]

About long-term insights briefings

Under the Public Sector Act 2020, agencies are required to create long-term insights briefings. These briefings explore long-term issues to help plan for the future. They are independent of ministers and not government policy. After being publicly consulted, each briefing is presented to a Parliamentary select committee for consideration.

The Ministry for Primary Industries’ (MPI’s) first long-term insights briefing was released in April 2023. It explored the global demand opportunities for New Zealand’s food sector in 2050.

Find out about our first long-term insights briefing

Next steps

After we’ve considered public feedback from consultation on the topic, we’ll draft the full long-term insights briefing, which will undergo a further round of public consultation before the final document is presented to Parliament mid-2025.

Submissions are public information

Note that all, part, or a summary of your submission may be published on this website. Most often this happens when we issue a document that reviews the submissions received.

People can also ask for copies of submissions under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA says we must make the content of submissions available unless we have good reason for withholding it. Those reasons are detailed in sections 6 and 9 of the OIA.

If you think there are grounds to withhold specific information from publication, make this clear in your submission or contact us. Reasons may include that it discloses commercially sensitive or personal information. However, any decision MPI makes to withhold details can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may direct us to release it.

Official Information Act 1982 – NZ Legislation