{"id":2478,"date":"2021-12-16T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-12-16T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.farmersweekly.co.nz\/m-bovis-advice-will-be-actioned\/"},"modified":"2022-05-01T23:12:04","modified_gmt":"2022-05-01T23:12:04","slug":"m-bovis-advice-will-be-actioned","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.farmersweekly.co.nz\/news\/m-bovis-advice-will-be-actioned\/","title":{"rendered":"M bovis advice \u2018will be actioned\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 3<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

M bovis governance group chair Kelvan Smith says the review recommendations will not be left on the shelf to gather dust.<\/i><\/p>\n

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Recommendations reflecting the lessons learnt from the Mycoplasma bovis programme will not be left gathering dust on a shelf.<\/p>\n

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An independent review of the programme identified key lessons for future management of large-scale and complex animal disease incursions.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe report is not going to gather dust, we want to make sure there is follow-up on the recommendations,\u201d M bovis governance group chair Kelvan Smith said.<\/p>\n

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The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) M bovis Governance Group commissioned the review in February this year, appointing Nicola Shadbolt (chair), Roger Paskin, Caroline Saunders and Tony Cleland to carry it out.<\/p>\n

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The governance group comprises government and industry representatives.<\/p>\n

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The review had three clear goals, including to reduce the impact of the disease and the eradication programme for everyone affected and to leave New Zealand\u2019s biosecurity system stronger.<\/p>\n

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Key recommendations released in the review report include building a national contingency plan for future animal disease responses, supported by detailed operational procedures and materials.<\/p>\n

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This includes developing standing governance of livestock disease preparedness made up of MPI and industry organisations and developing and resourcing the livestock disease preparedness structure, capacity and capability within MPI.<\/p>\n

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Developing and resourcing a data strategy across the livestock biosecurity system is recommended to improve NZ\u2019s wider biosecurity system.<\/p>\n

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Shadbolt says the panel considered the evolution of the M bovis programme from its start in 2017 to today.<\/p>\n

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\u201cOur review was informed by the experiences of both farmers and those who worked in the programme,\u201d Shadbolt said.<\/p>\n

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She acknowledges the report is \u201cvery critical in a number of areas\u201d.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThere is a lot of constructive criticism, it wasn\u2019t a pat on the back,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

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\u201cYes, to the farmers, we absolutely got the dramas and inadequacies, the report didn\u2019t whitewash that, it brought that all out.\u201d<\/p>\n

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She says while understanding farmers\u2019 angst, the review panel looked for the what next.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe used the report to look forward to ensure we never go there again and how we can collectively build a strong biosecurity system for the future,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

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The report identified key to implementing the recommendations is for the governance group to prioritise, support, communicate and monitor the implementation of the recommendations with other industries and partners.<\/p>\n

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Smith says the focus for the recommendations is aimed at preparing the livestock sector to deal with future biosecurity incursions.<\/p>\n

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The recommendations affect farm operators, livestock industry board rooms, the wider animal farming sector and MPI.<\/p>\n

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Several of the recommendations encompass findings discussed in multiple chapters; they have not been separated into chapter-specific segments but kept as a holistic overview of the proposed systemic improvements.<\/p>\n

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Smith acknowledges concern has been aired as to what happens now.<\/p>\n

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He assures farmers the recommendations will be actioned.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe governance group commissioned the review and the report makes it clear we have a role to implement the recommendations,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI can assure farmers we (M bovis Governance Group) are responsible to oversee the process to action the recommendations and work is already underway to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A working group of representatives from MPI, Beef + Lamb NZ and DairyNZ has been formed to establish a joint government and industry agreed work programme to deliver the recommendations.<\/p>\n

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The working group is chaired by MPI chief biosecurity officer Stu Hutchings.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe governance group is monitoring the progress of the working group and there is a bunch of work already under way,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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The governance group effectively has two more years in existence.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe are here until the last (infected) farm is found, at which time long-term surveillance kicks in and the programme transitions to another group,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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Smith could not divulge details of that group at this stage.<\/p>\n

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In the meantime, he says the focus is on looking forward to a stronger NZ biosecurity system to ensure better systems and support in the future for disease responses.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Recommendations reflecting the lessons learnt from the Mycoplasma bovis programme will not be left gathering dust on a shelf.\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":865,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_FSMCFIC_featured_image_caption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_nocaption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_hide":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[17,28,32,80],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t