Categories and criteria

Open to individuals and groups including community and sporting groups.

This Award recognises those who:

• are committed to a project or a body of work that supports biosecurity in New Zealand, and/or
• work collaboratively within their community to share the message that biosecurity is the collective responsibility of all New Zealanders, and/or
• work in partnership with Māori to achieve biosecurity excellence and positive outcomes, and/or
• show how biosecurity has been improved based on their project, initiative or a body of work, and/or
• show leadership and support in assisting in the protection of New Zealand’s natural environment and native species and how biosecurity practices have enabled the success.

Past Community Award Winners

2017 Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust for the Wildside Project
2018 Pirongia Te Aroaro o Kahu Restoration Society for Restoring kōkako to Mt Pirongia
2019 Te Roroa Commercial Development Company for their Kauri Dieback Response Plan
2020 Rotokare Scenic Reserve Trust
2021 Eastern Whio Link
2022 Whakatipu Wilding Conifer Group - Whakatipu Wilding Conifer Control Programme

Open to whanau, hapū, iwi, and Māori organisations.

This Award recognises the unique relationship Māori have through biosecurity with the whenua, wai, and moana (land, water, and sea).

Entrants should be able to demonstrate:

• their special relationship with the taonga in their takiwā
• that their mahi is helping to increase Māori capability and capacity in the biosecurity system.

The Award recognises those who:

• are committed to a project or body of work that supports protecting our taonga and biosecurity in New Zealand, and/or
• have identified, reported or led the management of a disease outbreak or pest incursion, and/or
• have developed new systems, technologies, processes, or practices within whanau, hapū, iwi, or Māori organisations that focus on improving biosecurity, and/or
• work in partnership with local community, agencies, organisations or industry to achieve biosecurity excellence and positive outcomes, and/or
• share ideas and resources among others to help:
  • transfer knowledge
  • collectively lift biosecurity expectations and processes
  • increase Māori capability and capacity in the biosecurity system.

Past Māori Award Winners

2017 Te Tira Whakamātaki for the Māori Biosecurity Network
2018 Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Te Rangi Iwi Trust for Tauranga Moana iwi biosecurity efforts
2019 Ngāti Hauā Mahi Trust for Tiaki Manaakitia te Tangata, Tiaki Manaakitia te Taiao
2020 Te Rawhiti 3B2 Ahu Whenua Trust for Nga Kaitiaki o Ipipiri Herenga Waaka (Guardians of the Bay of Islands)
2021 Te Roroa - Te Toa Whenua
2022 Te Arawa Lakes Trust - Hungatiaki Taiao/Biosecurity

Hear from our 2020 award winner:

Open to teams, classes, rōpū and enviro-groups in early childhood centres, primary, intermediate and secondary schools.

This Award recognises those who:

• are committed to a project or a body of work that supports biosecurity in New Zealand, and/or
• work in partnership with Māori to achieve biosecurity excellence and positive outcomes, and/or
• work collaboratively within their school and learning community to share the message that biosecurity is the collective responsibility of all New Zealanders, and/or
• show how biosecurity has been improved based on their project, initiative or a body of work, and/or
• show leadership and support in assisting in the protection of New Zealand’s natural environment and native species and how biosecurity practices have enabled the success.

Past Kura Award Winner

2020 St Paul's Collegiate School
2021 Lynmore Primary School
2022 Howick Schools’ Moth Plant Competition

Open to groups, organisations, or individuals in business or industry.

This Award recognises those who:

• are committed to a project or body of work that supports biosecurity in New Zealand, and/or
• have identified, reported, or led the management of a disease outbreak or pest incursion, and/or
• show what action they have taken, if any, around emerging biosecurity threats and risks to their business or industry, and/or
• work in partnership with Māori to achieve biosecurity excellence and positive outcomes, and/or
• have developed new systems, technologies, processes, or practices within their business, industry, or organisation that focus on improving biosecurity, and/or
• show how biosecurity has been improved based on their project, initiative or a body of work, and/or
• share their ideas and resources among others to help transfer knowledge and collectively lift biosecurity expectations and processes.

Past Industry Award Winners

2017 Port of Tauranga Limited for Biosecurity Excellence
2018 Kiwifruit Vine Health
2019 Livestock Improvement Corporation for helping to protect the national herd from Mycoplasma bovis
2020 Miraka for Te Ara Miraka
2021 Xerra Earth Observation Institute - project 'Starboard'
2022 Auckland Airport – A biosecurity culture to make biosecurity matter

Open to groups or individuals working in local, regional and central government organisations and agencies.

This Award recognises those who:

• have been committed to a project or body of work that supports biosecurity in New Zealand, and/or
• have identified, reported, or led the management of a disease outbreak or pest incursion, and/or
• show what action they have taken, if any, around emerging biosecurity threats and risks to their organisation or agency, and/or
• work in partnership with Māori to achieve biosecurity excellence and positive outcomes, and/or
• have developed new systems, technologies, processes, or practices within their agency or organisation that focus on improving biosecurity, and/or
• show how biosecurity has been improved based on their project, initiative or a body of work, and/or
• share their ideas and resources among others to help transfer knowledge and collectively lift biosecurity expectations and processes.

Past Local and Central Government Award winners

2017 Department of Conservation for the Great White Butterfly Eradication Project
2018 Environment Southland for Fiordland Marine Pathway Management Plan
2019 Auckland Council for their Island Biosecurity Team
2020 Dr May van Andel for Mycoplasma bovis and COVID-19 responses
2021 Toi Moana/Bay of Plenty Regional Council - Marine biosecurity team
2022 MPI – National Wilding Conifer Control Programme

Hear from our 2020 award winner:

Open to groups or individuals doing research in a business, tertiary institution, industry, or government.

This Award recognises those who:

• are committed to a research project or body of work that supports biosecurity in New Zealand, and/or
• have provided science and research that helped identify, report, or lead the management of a disease outbreak or pest incursion, and/or
• work in partnership with Māori to achieve biosecurity excellence and positive outcomes, and/or
• have developed new systems, technologies, processes, innovations, or practices within their business, industry, or research organisation that focus on improving biosecurity, and/or
• show how biosecurity has been improved based on their project, initiative or a body of work, and/or
• share their ideas and resources among others to help transfer knowledge and collectively lift biosecurity expectations and processes.

Past Science Award Winners

2019 Myrtle Rust Research Consortium
2020 Onside
2021 Cawthron Institute - Aquatic animal health research programme
2022 Better Border Biosecurity (B3) Research Collaboration

Open to groups, organisations, or individuals in business or industry.

Innovation is about using new approaches or technologies (including social measures) rather than applying widely used measures effectively.

The Award recognises those who:

• show how innovation has been a major contributor to the success of a project, programme, protocol, or one-off event, and/or
• show how biosecurity has been improved based on their innovation, and/or
• show how innovation has directly addressed a biosecurity threat, and/or
• are working collaboratively to support the development and success of the innovation and/or
• demonstrate how innovative concepts, practices, or techniques have resulted in significant positive change, solved problems that matter, changed culture, are scalable, or lead to a new way of thinking.

Past Innovation Award Winners

2018 Jacson3 Ltd for Jacson3 and its portable footwear biosecurity system, the Jacson Cube®
2019 Automotive Technologies Limited for their heat treatment programme
2020 Groundtruth Ltd for Trap.nz
2021 Xerra Earth Observation Institute - project 'Starboard'
2022 Wilderlab NZ Ltd – Wilderland and the eDNA revolution in Aotearoa

Hear from our 2020 award winner:

Open to individuals under 35 years old.

• This Award recognises an emerging leader from the New Zealand biosecurity system and is open to individuals under 35 years old who are already making a significant contribution to biosecurity in New Zealand.
• If you’re nominating someone for this Award, you must get their permission first.

Please note, you need someone to nominate you for this category you can not enter yourself.

Past Emerging Leader Award Winners

2018 Dr Amanda Black, Te Kawerau ā Maki
2019 Kane McElrea, Northland Regional Council
2020 Thomas (Tame) Malcolm, Te Tira Whakamātaki and Te Arawa Waka
2021 Patrick Cahill, Cawthron Institute
2022 Ethan McCormick – Pest Free Howick Ward and Friends of Mangemangeroa

Hear from our 2020 award winner:

Open to individuals, groups or organisations with at least 10 years’ continuous work in biosecurity.

• This Award recognises an individual, group or organisation from the New Zealand biosecurity system that has at least 10 years of continuous outstanding contribution to biosecurity in New Zealand.
• If you’re nominating someone for this Award, you must get their permission first.

Please note, you need someone to nominate you for this category you can not enter yourself. There will be no finalists announced for this Award, with the winner announced at the Awards dinner.

Past Minister's Biosecurity Award Winners

2017 Don McKenzie, Northland Regional Council
2018 Greg Corbett, Bay of Plenty Regional Council
2019 David 'Didymo Dave' Cade
2020 Linda Peacock, Kiwifruit Vine Health
2021 Peter Wilkins, AsureQuality
2022 Phillip Karaitiana, Gisborne District Council – for his commitment to New Zealand biosecurity

All category winners are eligible for the New Zealand Biosecurity Supreme Award.

Nominations are not accepted for the New Zealand Biosecurity Supreme Award.

Past New Zealand Biosecurity Supreme Award Winners

2018 Environment Southland Te Taiao Tonga for the Fiordland Marine Pathway Management Plan
2019 Te Arawa Lakes Trust for their Te Arawa Catfish Killas
2020 Miraka for Te Ara Miraka
2021 Xerra Earth Observation Institute
2022 WilderLab Ltd - Wilderlab and the eDNA revolution in Aotearoa