TGG meeting communique: July 2021

Further progress with the Plant Production Biosecurity Scheme (PPBS)

July’s transitional governance group (TGG) meeting agreed several key steps crucial to the scheme’s forthcoming rollout. TGG will provide further communiques as the scheme progresses.

The PPBS will be implemented under a GIA (Government Industry Agreement for Biosecurity Readiness and Response) Operational Agreement (OA). PPBS partners have now agreed the OA and are working through their internal processes to sign.

The PPBS will be delivered by NZPPI under a scheme management contract. A final draft of the contract between the PPBS partners and NZPPI has now been agreed. As soon as the OA and contract have been signed, formal delivery of the Scheme can begin, all going to plan from August.

The Plant Buyers’ Accord is also ready for signatories to commit to using their influence to encourage and support plant producers to register and achieve certification to the scheme. Potential Accord signatories include plant buyers such as retailers, those who influence and specify plant purchases such as government agencies and sector advocates, and agencies that own nurseries.

And last, but not least, a new overarching logo and strapline has been agreed, and this new website has gone live. Plant Pass – safer plants for New Zealand – is an aspirational and positive brand name. The name helps convey the commitment, effort and achievement of those who are parties to the Accord and the PPBS (or another scheme that is recognised as equivalent).

Once the OA and scheme manager contract have been signed, we will build the plant producer participation base and gather Accord signatories towards a celebration and formal launch in late-spring/early summer.