78970 (2024). Hon Jo Luxton to the Minister for Biosecurity

78970 (2024). Hon Jo Luxton to the Minister for Biosecurity: How many hours were there from the time MPI was first notified of the first H7N6 case and the lockdown of the farm, and public notification?

Hon Andrew Hoggard: MPI was notified of the first concerns regarding the health of the poultry on the farm on the afternoon of Friday 29 November. The restricted place notice was issued as a precautionary measure and the farm went into official lockdown the afternoon of Sunday 1 December. MPI’s National Animal Health Laboratory notified the confirmation of high pathogenicity avian influenza H7N6 the evening of Sunday 1 December 2024. MPI’s high biocontainment animal health laboratory based in Wallaceville, Upper Hutt, allows us to safely test for diseases. This laboratory plays a pivotal role in protecting New Zealand and is the only facility of its kind in the country. Our people worked through the weekend to confirm the test results.