81862 (2024). Hon Jo Luxton to the Minister for Biosecurity

81862 (2024). Hon Jo Luxton to the Minister for Biosecurity: If bird flu were to be labelled ‘endemic’ in NZ, would all poultry farmers be required to shut their gates?

Hon Andrew Hoggard: With a possible arrival, H5N1 HPAI is likely to become widespread in New Zealand’s wild bird population and circulation in this population is likely for the foreseeable future. Planning for New Zealand to live with the disease over the long-term is already underway and includes working with the commercial poultry industry to reinforce the importance of improving on-farm biosecurity measures. Information I have received indicates strains of HPAI, including H5N1, have been circulating globally for many years. Countries which have previously had outbreaks of avian influenza, including H5N1, now only experience seasonal outbreaks. MPI has been working with industry to develop template farm-level biosecurity, response, and business continuity plans to enable preparedness. A key component of the plans for maintaining on farm biosecurity in the event of H5N1 will be farmers implementing their own controls at farm entry sites, including restricted farm access, people checks and vehicle decontamination processes and procedures.