1.
Background to the Toolbox Project
Under the Biosecurity Strategy, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) has been charged with
providing leadership on pest management in New Zealand. Recent projects and research commissioned by
the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry - Biosecurity New Zealand (MAFBNZ) have identified that pest
management across the biosecurity system (including the roles of central and local government) is at times
fragmented, with a lack of communication and coordination, and that there is inconsistency in managing
pests across boundaries and jurisdictions.
1.1.
Future of Pest Management Project
The aim of the Future of Pest Management Project is to ensure MAFBNZ achieves the best outcomes for
New Zealand for the pest management investments that they make. This means working towards the
overall outcomes that pest management activities support (economic strength, a healthy environment,
healthy New Zealanders and our cultural identity) by reducing the damage caused by pests and diseases
already present in New Zealand.
The project will:

Confirm the current state of our pest management system and future challenges

Clarify why we carry out pest management, i.e. what we are trying to achieve

Clarify what an effective future pest management system looks like

Clarify who should do what – roles and accountabilities

Improve the frameworks and tools that enable effective pest management to ensure these are fit for
purpose

Address any other significant issues that limit effective pest management

Combine the purpose, direction and improvements in a strategic action plan

Make key changes to effectively implement the strategic action plan
Development of a Pest Management ‘Toolbox’
1.2.
The Pest Management Coordination Toolbox (toolbox) aims to provide direction and practical tips to assist
groups and organisations in pest management. It does this through identifying steps and guidelines to
assist groups undertake effective pest management.
The toolbox is intended for:

Policy makers and managers responsible for pest management:
–

Regional coordinators or biosecurity officers working with groups in the field on pest management or
biodiversity issues:
–

Steps and guidelines for developing pest management projects and decision making on key
issues relevant to pest management are provided. Areas such as identifying stakeholders or
when to undertake a cost-benefit analysis are covered.
The toolbox identifies the key steps involved in developing a pest management strategy,
undertaking consultation and providing tools that officers can use when working with community
groups.
Community groups doing pest management activities:
–
1.3.
A community checklist is provided for undertaking pest management, links to funding sources and
assistance in getting support for activities.
How was the Toolbox Developed?
The toolbox has been developed through an iterative process with input from a wide range of stakeholders
including community groups, MAF BNZ, regional councils, research organisations and other groups
interested in pest management in New Zealand.
A number of workshops were run with stakeholders to get their support and input into developing the
toolbox.
2.
Toolbox
2.1.
MAF Response Policy
In July 2008, Cabinet approved a new response policy, Policy for MAF's Response to Risk Organisms. The
response policy replaces the Biosecurity Council Policy Statement on Responding to an Exotic Organism
Incursion September 2001.
The response policy sets out how MAF manages biosecurity responses to risk organisms that could harm
people, the environment, and/or the economy. The policy defines “response” to include long-term
management to mitigate the impacts of established organisms. MAF will lead national long-term
management where it is best placed to do so.
A single comprehensive system, the Biosecurity Knowledge Base, has been developed to guide responses
from all sectors, of all sizes and resulting from a pest management incursion. This toolbox has been
developed to assist groups working together on long-term pest management programmes.
The full text of the MAF Response Policy is available on the MAFBNZ website [insert link].
2.2.
Principles for Toolbox Development
The following principles have guided the development of the toolbox.
A tool that will assist groups
The toolbox has been designed to assist in the development of a pest management
working together on pest
project or management action requiring coordination between a number of groups
management
and/or organisations.
Usually this might mean a regional council working with community groups or a
number of community groups working together.
A focus on pest management not
The toolbox is useful for groups wanting to target pest management on a particular
just a single-pest response
site or geographical area or groups wanting to target either a single pest or multiple
pests across a defined geographical area.
User-friendly, easy to use by a
The toolbox has been designed to be used by the range of people involved in pest
range of users
management in New Zealand including community groups, landcare groups, regional
councils, industry organisations, the Department of Conservation, MAF and other
agencies.
During development of the toolbox it was clear that the capacity of different groups to
access information varied significantly. Some groups wanted simple, easy to use tools
and access to expert assistance and funding, whereas others would benefit from
more detailed information and tools.
Also, it was intended that the toolbox could also benefit regional councils, district
councils and other government agencies
Risk-based decision making
The Biosecurity Decisions Framework is embedded into the toolbox.
Management of risk to values (such as social, cultural, economic and environment)
forms the basis of deciding how to best respond through a coordinated pest
management project.
Consistency and scalability
The toolbox applies to all pests (animal, plants and insects, and marine), all sizes and
all types of pest management
Project management discipline
Implementation of pest management projects is planned and coordinated in
accordance with project management principles.
Linkages to other applicable
The toolbox has been designed to link to, and reference, other applicable knowledge
systems
bases, systems and tools relevant to pest program coordination
2.3.
Toolbox Outcomes
This coordination toolbox has been designed to assist individuals and groups undertaking pest
management projects to:

Identify the goal(s) of the pest management project

Identify the needs of the pest management project

Identify what leadership and group structure is best needed for the project

Identify the best option for the undertaking the pest management project

Identify who will lead the project

Identify how the project will be funded

Identify who needs to be consulted and/or involved in the project,

Identify what monitoring, reporting and review is needed.
Triggers for Initiating a Long-term Pest Management Programme
This is the starting point for consideration of a long-term pest management programme. The ‘trigger’ to
initiate a long-term pest management program may come from any of the following:

Support for a long-term pest management programme is confirmed (this may include at a variety of
levels such as a community group in partnership with other groups or an industry group lobbying for a
nationally led program)

Long-term management of a pest was the Government-approved option and the response is now
ready to transition from an incursion response to long-term management

There has been a change in pest status or programme needs

There has been a Government-approved decision for initiation of a pest management programme

The need for a long-term pest management programme has been identified by the Toolbox Manager or
management agencies such as DOC or regional councils.
3.
Summary of the Toolbox
The toolbox provides an entry point for individuals, groups and organisations wanting some simple
tools and guidance in managing a pest management programme. This guidance is provided around a
simple project cycle comprising four stages: i) Prepare; ii) Plan; iii) Act; iv) Review. Each of these
stages is then expanded in more detail, providing links to different tools that can help with each phase.
The second part of the toolbox provides an entry point for regional councils, community groups and
initiatives wanting more detailed tools to assist in developing a large-scale project or programme.
Finally a glossary and links are provided as an entry point to other initiatives and tools. These three
eklements are illustrated in the below diagram.
Community Pest Management Toolbox
A graphical introduction to the prepare, plan, act, review cycle is provided below. This illustration
also introduces the wider set of tools that are provided to support programme development.
Finally, a list of individual tools is provided for managers to pick and choose from as appropriate.
Tool
Description
Checklist for Community Groups Developing
Checklist for community groups
Pest Management Projects
Leadership and Coordination Model
Guideline to assist groups decide what groups and legal structures are
Guidelines
needed
Programme Goals and Outcomes
Guideline on developing project goals and outcomes
Issue Investigation Guidelines
Guidelines to assist group investigate pest management issue. Identify
need to understand the pest problem in terms of spread, geographic
distribution, risk, impact etc.
Stakeholder Identification and
Guidelines to assist in identifying stakeholders, impacts and best
Communication
methods for communication
Pest Impact Rating Guidelines
Guidelines to assist groups identify stakeholders impacted by a pest
problem and scale of impacts
Determining Lead
Guideline to assist in determining lead when there are a number of
group/organisations involved in a project
Health and Safety Plan Template
Template for developing a Health and Safety Plan for the pest
management project
Funding Model Guidelines
Guidelines describing a method for apportioning funds between
different parties
Links to Possible Funding
Links to possible funding opportunities
Developing a Project Plan
Guidelines on developing a project plan
MAF Performance Reporting Measurement
Reference and general explanation of framework
Framework
Work Plan Template
Template for a project Work Plan
Iwi Liaison and Consultation
General guidelines on how to identify relevant Tangata Whenua and
how to consult
Communications Plan Template
Template for a communication plan
When to undertake a CBA?
Checklist for when to undertake a CBA.
CBA – Understanding the steps
Guideline explaining in general terms the steps in undertaking a CBA
Weighing costs and benefits
Guidelines on different approaches that could be used for assessing
the costs and benefits of a project
Stakeholder Reference Guide
Reference list of bio security stakeholders
Business Case Guidelines
Guidelines on content for developing a business case
Risk Assessment Procedure
Guidelines to undertake a risk assessment and risk assessment
workshop