Biosecurity programme launched

An independent biosecurity programme, Ko Tātou This Is Us, has been launched by Biosecurity 2025, with the aim of helping New Zealanders understand their role in biosecurity and how biosecurity protects their way of life and the things they love. 

The programme highlights the personal connection of biosecurity to people’s lives and demonstrates that every New Zealander has an essential role in helping to protect Aotearoa from pests and diseases.

“Right now it’s hard to ignore biosecurity,” says Roger Smith, chair of the Biosecurity 2025 steering group and head of Biosecurity New Zealand. “Where once it may have seemed a farming or horticulture concern and something the government did, incursions such as myrtle rust, kauri dieback and Mycoplasma bovis, have made it to the mainstream news. Biosecurity issues are increasingly relevant to all of us.”
 
“Ko Tātou This Is Us is an independent biosecurity brand that emphasises how biosecurity helps protect everything that shapes our way of life, from the outdoor environment where we farm, fish, hunt and explore, to the food we enjoy eating, and the beautiful biodiversity this country provides,” says Amber Bill, Biosecurity 2025 steering group member and director of the Threats, Biodiversity Group, at the Department of Conservation.
 
Graeme Marshall, Biosecurity 2025 steering group member and chairperson of the Biosecurity Ministerial Advisory Committee says Ko Tātou This Is Us is supported by a very visible public campaign.
 
“It calls every New Zealander to think about their role in biosecurity, how it protects their way of life and the things they love, and how they can be part of the 4.7 million biosecurity team.”
   
As apart of Ko Tātou This Is Us' media campaign, Kiwi social media influencers have created videos, which highlight their own personal connection to biosecurity, why biosecurity matters to them, and what’s at stake for their way of life or livelihood.
 
A selection of these influencers include Pro XC Mountain Bike racer and Commonwealth Games Gold medallist, Anton Cooper; TV personality and owner of the largest and most award-winning cooking school in Australasia, Sachie Nomura; and Big Angry Fish hosts Milan Radonich and Nathan O’Hearn.

To get involved check out their website or their Facebook page.