Government Industry Agreements – GIA

'The Deed'

While the operational GIA Deed has been in place for some time certain aspects have required further input.  This is around an ‘engagement’ concept;  a new ‘Engagement policy’ has been drafted and opened for submissions.

The engagement policy prescribes the process signatories will follow in the event of a dispute arising, when signatory groups are considering cost sharing for a Biosecurity incursion.

As the flower sector is not a signatory these changes/additions to the GIA deed have no impact on the sector.

However the association undertook to contact the GIA Secretariat and have this confirmed, as well as asking for the position of non signatories to be clearly spelt out.

In a response, this means for non-signatories

MPI will investigate incursions, and in partnership with affected GIA signatories decide on any response, and initially pay.  MPI will recover response costs from any Non-Signatories that benefit, where it is equitable and efficient to do so (note the mechanism to cost recover is still not in place, but MPI has advised it still expects this to be in place by 1 July 2017).

Non-Signatories have no formal decision rights.  In an incursion impacting both industry Signatory and Non-Signatory beneficiaries – the GIA partners decide whether to respond or not, and allocation of cost shares.

In some circumstances, Non-Signatory beneficiary representatives may be invited to sit on Response Governance as observers by the affected GIA partners.

In a fast moving response, Non-signatories may only be informed after a decision has been implemented

As a non signatory sector we are encouraged by the third point made here – ‘that Non – Signatory beneficiaries may be invited to have a representative sit in on response governance as observers’.

  Perhaps that could be ‘will’ instead of ‘may’.  Steve Rich has been approached and asked if non signatories could be observers to any response governance discussions which may affect them as a sector.

Further details can be found on the GIA website www.gia.org.nz/News-Events