Biosecurity and safety at NZ borders
Services and initiatives led by the Nelson Marlborough Public Health Service that keep our country safe for you, including:
Effective quarantine and biosecurity procedures prevent the entry of exotic diseases or their carriers into New Zealand.
Nelson Marlborough Health Public Health Service undertakes mosquito surveillance at the border (Nelson Airport (unscheduled international flights) and Ports at Nelson and Marlborough). This is to prevent exotic mosquitoes from becoming established in New Zealand.
Nelson Marlborough Health Public Health Service's quarantine and biosecurity procedures at these locations include:
- monitoring for exotic mosquitoes
- responding to notifications of exotic mosquito interceptions and incursions
- responding to ill passengers on international flights or cruise ships
- inspecting ships for sanitary conditions and disease carriers such as mosquitoes and rats.
Monitoring for exotic mosquitoes
The Nelson Marlborough Public Health Service's exotic mosquito surveillance programme helps to prevent the spread of serious viruses.
These include the Zika virus, malaria, Ross River virus and dengue fever.
The Public Health Service:
- maintains mosquito surveillance at Nelson and Marlborough ports
- responds to suspected exotic mosquito sightings and reports
- responds to public questions and complaints about mosquitoes.
More about mosquitoes in the Nelson Marlborough region
- New Zealand has 12 native mosquito species and three well-established introduced species.
- New Zealand is an appealing environment for exotic mosquitoes and, once established, they are difficult and expensive to eradicate.
- Nelson and Marlborough have busy seaports (entry points for mosquitoes that may travel in cargo), and mosquito-friendly habitats.
Rats
Rats pose a risk to public health for a number of reasons. Their fleas are capable of transmitting plague, and the rats themselves can spread diseases such as typhus, leptospirosis and many more through their urine, faeces and bites.
Responding to infectious diseases and other public health hazards
The Nelson Marlborough Public Health Service makes sure that the ports in its region are prepared for public health hazards by:
- maintaining emergency response plans
- assessing unwell international travellers and crew
- developing and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders.
Ports at Nelson and Marlborough are designated as 'points of entry' under the International Health Regulations 2005. This means that ports must be prepared to respond to a public health hazard, event or emergency of international concern.
Hazards include chemical, biological or radiological hazards as well as infectious diseases.
For the most up-to-date information about New Zealand's current border controls, visit the Ministry of Health's COVID-19 border controls page.
Useful links:
Maritime border control - Ministry of Health
Exotic mosquitoes - Ministry of Health
Looking for COVID-19 border control information? Go to the Ministry of Health webpage
International ships arriving at ports in Nelson or Marlborough must have a current pratique licence and Ship Sanitation Certificate.
Granting of Pratique
- these confirm that a ship is free from contagious disease
- they are obtained by following the Port Health Authority Pratique Procedure
- without pratique, a ship is liable to quarantine controls set out in the Health Act 1956.
Ship Sanitation Certificates
- these must be renewed every six months
- the certification process is managed by a region's public health service
- the process includes an audit of the ship's cleaning and waste management procedures and medical facilities and a physical inspection of the ship.
Documents
Contact:
Port Health Authority – Public Health Service
Email: [email protected]
Phone:
- Nelson (03) 546 1537
- Marlborough (03) 520 9914
After hours:
- (03) 546 1800 (Nelson)
- (03) 520 9999 (Marlborough)
Useful links:
Border health - Ministry of Health
Maritime border control - Ministry of Health
Looking for COVID-19 border control information? Go to the Ministry of Health webpage
Ships arriving from overseas need to receive health clearance (pratique) from Nelson Marlborough Health Public Health Service before they arrive. Ships also require a Ship Sanitation Certificate which must be renewed every six months. Nelson Marlborough Health Public Health Service is responsible for issuing these certificates in New Zealand.
Most commercial flights arriving in New Zealand are deemed to automatically have health clearance, but the Captain must alert Nelson Marlborough Health Public Health Service if there is an infectious disease risk on board.
Unscheduled flights such as private jets must also alert Nelson Marlborough Health Public Health Service, of the health status on board.
Quarantine procedures are designed to:
- stop the importation of diseases – carried by animals, air, water or food – to New Zealand
- assess the health of aircraft and ship crew and international travellers
- reduce the international spread of diseases, particularly diseases carried by animals
- restricts the activities of people and animals that have been exposed to infectious disease during the period when the disease was contagious
Related links:
Page last updated: 29/03/2023