NZ winegrowers advance vineyard biosecurity in 2025
The year was marked by “progress, collaboration and reflection” in biosecurity, says New Zealand Winegrowers Biosecurity Advisor Jim Herdman.
Biosecurity New Zealand announced the winners of the 2018 New Zealand Biosecurity Awards last night.
Environment Southland’s Fiordland Marine Pathway Management Plan took out the top prize, the New Zealand Biosecurity Supreme Award. Their project also received the New Zealand Biosecurity Eagle Technology Local and Central Government Award.
The Fiordland Marine Pathway Management Plan the first of its kind in New Zealand, aims to protect one of New Zealand’s most unique and nationally significant areas from marine pests being carried in on local and visiting vessels.
“The New Zealand Biosecurity Awards celebrate iwi, environmental organisations, science providers, community groups, local, regional and central government agencies who are working hard to help ensure Aotearoa is safe from pests and diseases,” says Roger Smith, Head of Biosecurity New Zealand.
The Awards’ winners included a wide variety of interesting biosecurity-related projects from the protection of New Zealand’s kiwifruit industry, to biosecurity excellence in Tauranga moana to improving the outcomes for kōkako, and even innovative products like a portable footwear cleaning system.
The full list of New Zealand Biosecurity Awards’ winners are:
- New Zealand Biosecurity Department of Conservation Community Award - Pirongia Te Aroaro o Kahu Restoration Society
- New Zealand Biosecurity GIA Industry Award - Kiwifruit Vine Health
- New Zealand Biosecurity Biological Heritage Challenge Science Award - Scion: New Zealand Forest Research Institute
- New Zealand Biosecurity AsureQuality Emerging Leader Award - Dr Amanda Black
- New Zealand Biosecurity Te Puni Kōkiri Māori Award - Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Te Rangi Iwi Trust
- New Zealand Biosecurity Eagle Technology Local and Central Government Award - Environment Southland
- New Zealand Biosecurity Mondiale Innovation Award - Jacson3 Limited
- New Zealand Biosecurity Supreme Award - Environment Southland
- Minister’s Biosecurity Award - Greg Corbett
Matt McRae, a farmer from Mokoreta in Southland who runs a sheep, beef and dairy support business alongside a sheep stud, has been elected to the Beef +Lamb NZ Board as a farmer director.
Ravensdown's next evolution in smart farming technology, HawkEye Pro, was awarded the Technology Section Award at the Southern Field Days Farm Innovation Awards in February 2026.
While mariners may recognise a “dog watch” as a two-hour shift on a ship, the Good Dog Work Watch is quite a different concept and the clever creation of Southland siblings Grace (9) and Archer Brown (7), both pupils at Riverton Primary School.
Philip and Lyneyre Hooper of the Hoopman Family Trust have tonight been named the Taranaki Regional Supreme Winners at the Ballance Farm Environment Awards.
We are not a bunch of sky cowboys. That was one of the key messages from the chairperson of the NZ Agricultural Aviation Association (NZAAA) Kent Weir, speaking at an education day at Feilding aerodrome for 25 policymakers and regulators from central and local government and other rural professionals.
New Zealand's dairy and beef industries say they welcome the announcement that the Government will invest $10.49 million in the Dairy Beef Opportunities (DBO) programme.