New Zealand farmers and growers are set to gain faster access to crop protection and pest control products under an amendment to the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (HSNO) Act. Nicola Grigg, Minister for the Environment, says the change is expected to pass by the end of September.

Grigg says the scale of the problem is tangible.

“It can take up to 3 years to get an application processed, and then the permit only allows for 5 years, for example.

“They only get to use the product for two years, which is just crazy.

“This is about improving efficiencies in the system; it is not about lowering risk thresholds.”

The mechanism is greater use of overseas regulatory decisions, with New Zealand-specific controls applied throughout, she says. Australia and various EU member states are expected to feature most, with each case assessed individually.

“There will be new opportunities for farmers and growers to access new, improved products be it pesticides, animal medicines, fertilisers, whatever it may be, by using proven systems from offshore jurisdictions.”

Grigg says a parallel fast-track pathway is part of the package. The bill builds on 16 recommendations from a 2024 regulatory review, all of which cabinet has agreed to.

“There will be new fast-track approval opportunity, which will give people bringing new product into the country the opportunity to fast-track that in whilst their substantive application is being considered.”

The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) retains its role as an independent decision-maker and has been funded to increase staff and cut its application backlog, she says. The EPA met a target of reducing that backlog by 20% last year and has exceeded some targets.

“I’ve had it said to me by some people in the industry that New Zealand is at risk of already becoming a dumping ground for old products that the rest of the world has moved on from, and we simply can’t have that.”

The bill will go to the Primary Production Select Committee, where public notification and hearings remain, Grigg says. Gene technology is explicitly excluded and is the subject of separate legislation.

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