2017 Biosecurity Awards winners and highly commended

Winner: Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust – The Wildside Project

The Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust has been successfully running predator control programmes for over 30 years. Most of the support comes from land owners and the wider community.

Highly Commended: Motutapu Restoration Trust

Winner: Port of Tauranga Limited – Biosecurity Excellence

The Port of Tauranga has built a port community that’s committed to biosecurity excellence. Their aim – to have no biosecurity incursions coming through the port of Tauranga. Their programme is a partnership with industry and government.

Highly Commended: New Zealand Plant Producers Incorporated (NZPPI)

Winner: Department of Conservation – The Great White Butterfly Eradication Project

The Department of Conservation eliminated a pest butterfly from New Zealand. This is the first time anywhere in the world that an unwanted butterfly population has been eradicated.

Highly Commended: Northland Regional Council – Marine Biosecurity Programme

Highly Commended: Top of the South (TOS) Marine Biosecurity Project

There were some fantastic entries within this category, so the judges decided to award 2 certificates.

Winner: Te Tira Whakamātaki - Māori Biosecurity Network

The Māori Biosecurity Network was established in 2015 to look at how Māori knowledge, interests, and values can be embedded in New Zealand’s biosecurity system.

Highly Commended: The Karioi Project, Te Whaanga 2B3B2 and 2B1 Ahu Whenua Trust (AWT)

Winner: Department of Conservation - The Great White Butterfly Eradication Project

One of the winners from the 4 main categories also won the Supreme Award, which recognises their level of success and determination.

The Great White Butterfly Eradication Project took place over 4 years, and successfully removed a pest butterfly from New Zealand. It was the first eradication in the world of an unwanted butterfly population. By December 2014, the pest was no longer detected in New Zealand. After a surveillance period, MPI declared the operation successful in 2016.

Quote from Minister Hon Nathan Guy:

"I was especially pleased to see The Great White Butterfly Project take home the Supreme Award, chosen from the 4 category winners. The contribution from the local community is testament to the success of the project and an excellent example of how communities and organisations can become part of our biosecurity team of 4.7 million."

Winner: Don McKenzie (Northland Regional Council)

This award is given to an individual who's made at least 10 years of continuous, outstanding contribution to biosecurity in New Zealand. Don McKenzie, from the Northland Regional Council, has worked for over 20 years to improve biosecurity in Northland.

Quote from former Minister Hon Nathan Guy:

"It was my pleasure to hand over the Minister’s Biosecurity Award, that recognises an individual who has made at least 10 years of continuous outstanding contribution to biosecurity in New Zealand, to Don McKenzie from Northland Regional Council. Don is a leader in regional biosecurity who has worked tirelessly for over 2 decades for better biosecurity in Northland, delivering some world leading programmes."