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24 March 2021
Industry Notification: MPI notice to inform importers about QTC's decision to stop treatment work
Flick Anticimex (trading as the Quarantine Treatment Centre – QTC Auckland) has told MPI that they have decided to stop providing quarantine treatments in Auckland for import risk goods or export consignments. In this regard, QTC are no longer accepting imported risk goods for treatment (including nursery stock) and they have until the 31 March 2021 to complete all agreed treatment work at their transitional facility or at other approved facilities under supervision of Independent Verification Services (IVS).
Treatment Suppliers
The MPI-approved Treatment Supplier List holds details for those MPI-approved Treatment Suppliers who are able to a range of treatments including application of insecticides/other sprays. Regarding nursery stock, Genera Biosecurity in Auckland and Nelson or Rentokil Pest Control in Auckland may be able to do this work.
At this stage, some existing MPI-approved Treatment Suppliers may be approved to apply insecticides for exported goods, but they may not be equally approved to apply insecticides for imported nursery stock. Approval for imported treatments follows a separate approval process to export treatments. In this instance, an MPI Inspector or IVS can supervise the application of the insecticide where the particular application is out of the Treatment Supplier’s immediate treatment scope.
Other Treatment Supplier Options
Another option is locating a Containment or Transitional facility where insecticides (for official quarantine treatments) can be applied. Containment facilities may be approved to undertake quarantine treatments within their premises. For nursery stock the facility may not have a specific room for such pre-quarantine treatments but will have a designated area for holding incoming imported plants. As long as the required segregation protocols and health and safety protocols are followed then official quarantine treatment is able to take place.
Containment facility operators could become approved for import treatments if they apply as follows: Approval as a Treatment Supplier for application of specific insecticide applications or they might be able to be approved under a facilitated process by the Treatments Team upon request.
The usual requirement is to have a Treatment Technician trained under a “Growsafe” or an “HSNO Certificate” and in some cases, they will have to obtain the required chemicals. Generally, It is a matter of an importer contacting an appropriate MPI-approved Treatment Supplier and working with them or undertaking their own treatment approval at a suitable facility. Normally, for undertaking their own work, the Facility Operator will begin the application process by contacting an IVA and will be supervised for applying treatments until full MPI approval is granted.
For further information or clarification, please contact MPI at standards@mpi.govt.nz
