Joint Communiqué
12 December 2025, Christchurch, New Zealand
The ANZBC held its twenty-first bilateral meeting in Christchurch, New Zealand on 12 December 2025 and brought together representatives from New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), and Australia’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF).
ANZBC acknowledged the importance of continued biosecurity collaboration and maintaining a strong partnership between New Zealand and Australia. Discussions focused on achievements across ANZBC’s strategic priorities, including Trans-Tasman seamless travel; enhancing trade and economic growth; supporting the Pacific region; joint engagement through international forums; marine biosecurity; and overarching preparedness and response, including strategic, operational, and technical capabilities.
Updates and insights
Both agencies outlined key priorities to improve regulatory efficiency and cost recovery for biosecurity. MPI highlighted collaboration in the Pacific and international standards, shared updates on the Biosecurity Business Pledge and Biosecurity Act 1993 amendments and noted investment in a new plant health laboratory in Auckland.
Australia reported record agricultural production and progress under its Agriculture and Land Sector Plan and National Food Security Strategy, aimed at reducing emissions, boosting productivity, and strengthening resilience. DAFF also advised that a national biosecurity reform agenda is being developed to better address strategic risks.
Using artificial intelligence (AI) to assist regulatory outcomes
MPI introduced a project that will assist the development of import health standards by using AI. Initial proof of concept and development work demonstrated that AI could deliver significant time and resource savings in standard development while maintaining biosecurity protection settings. DAFF noted its initial work using AI and other digital technologies to assist with information gathering, audits and modelling work.
- ANZBC committed to sharing information and lessons on AI technology development.
Biosecurity systems and process modernisation
ANZBC members shared progress on Trans-Tasman traveller pathways and seamless traveller significant initiatives, highlighting the importance of modernisation and efficient biosecurity collaboration to address the impact of increasing border volumes. Members discussed next steps for the Australian Traveller Declaration (ATD) and New Zealand Travel Declaration (NZTD), streamlining international to domestic processes, modern screening tools such as 3D Xray and biometrics (for example, “biometrics on the move” technology), planning for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics and frontline capability and decision-making support.
- MPI and DAFF agreed to collaborate on reforms to the low value goods and self-assessed clearance pathways.
- ANZBC agreed to progress opportunities for alignment between Australia and New Zealand on further process modernisation projects, including further development of the ATD, and options for streamlining low risk applicants.
Information sharing on H5N1 High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza (HPAI) readiness and response
ANZBC noted that MPI and DAFF have met monthly to discuss biosecurity preparedness for H5N1 HPAI and will work together to expand the focus to other emerging animal disease risks such as foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) lumpy skin disease (LSD) and African swine fever (ASF). Australia noted H5N1 HPAI vaccine pilots are underway and thanked New Zealand for sharing information on their vaccine trials. Australia also reported that a risk analysis has recently been completed in partnership with Dairy Australia, which assessed the potential impacts of H5 HPAI establishing in dairy cattle as well as rapid risk appraisals for other livestock industries, and estimated the H5 HPAI risk as low to Australia’s livestock industry. In commercial poultry, New Zealand is developing industry-led biosecurity programs.
- MPI and DAFF affirmed ongoing cooperation on preparedness for H5N1 HPAI, including information sharing on emergency response arrangements, technical and scientific updates.
Collaboration on fresh produce pathways
ANZBC noted that detections of viruses on fresh produce have disrupted trade between Australia and New Zealand. With the goals of seeking to minimise unnecessary trade disruption and promoting a harmonised approach to managing detections of viruses on fresh produce:
- ANZBC agreed to commission a joint project to analyse the risk of virus transmission in the fresh produce pathway using cucumber green mottle mosaic virus on cucurbits (the gourd family of plants) as a model.
Collaboration on surveillance and diagnostics
ANZBC noted the upcoming Scientific Exchange Planning Summit in early 2026 between key DAFF and MPI teams will focus on diagnostics and surveillance collaboration.
- ANZBC agreed to identify and progress a maximum of two priority areas for action to enhance diagnostics and surveillance capabilities and ensure effective, timely responses to pest detections.
Technical Working Groups (TWG) – key outcomes and strategic collaboration
The three TWGs reported progress over the past year, and ongoing efforts, which included:
- The Australia and New Zealand Operational Working Group is expanding its scope to include marine biosecurity, and DAFF and MPI have agreed on key opportunities in areas such as low-value import pathways and cost recovery models, brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), trans-Tasman seamless travel, and Pacific engagement.
- The Plant Health TWG highlighted the progress on trade and biosecurity issues between the two agencies. There is ongoing collaboration on the agreed plant market access priorities for both countries.
- The Animal Health TWG highlighted the reciprocal recognition of each country’s return to HPAI freedom, and the work to focus the forward workplan to ensure delivery of 2026 work priorities including finalisation of the HPAI zoning agreement and progression of New Zealand’s market access request for land-based farmed non-salmonid finfish.
Closing Remarks
ANZBC acknowledged the benefits of collaboration on a range of matters to protect biosecurity, maintain safe trade and advance areas of mutual interest. ANZBC welcomed the increased strategic collaboration from the technical working groups and noted that the outcomes from all groups are aligned with the strategic direction and priorities discussed at ANZBC 20.
The ANZBC will next meet in mid-2026 to discuss progress against ANZBC strategic initiatives.