The Phytophthora agathidicida (PA) National Pest Management Plan has been gazetted and will be in place from August 2nd. Kauri producing nurseries that don't meet the plan's biosecurity requirements could be liable for fines of up to $15,000. However, MPI has said they would prefer to work with kauri producers to help them meet the new requirements rather than issue immediate fines.
The management plan replaces voluntary compliance with 12 rules. Rule 3, Restrictions on the Movement of Plant and Soil is the main rule to affect producers. The offence is "moving a kauri plant or kauri tree between sites when it has not been produced under an approved production plan". Each offence will be a prosecutable offence under s154(18) of the Biosecurity Act 1993 and can include a criminal conviction and/or a maximum penalty fine of $5,000 for an individual or $15,000 for a body corporate.
NZPPI has been working closely with MPI on the management plan. MPI considers Plant Pass certification with the Kauri Dieback Module as proof that a plant producer is complying with the Rule 3 requirements, although Plant Pass is not specifically mentioned in the plan by name. See page 70 of the attached PDF document for more details. NZPPI is looking to update the module when MPI Pa batch testing facilities and regimes are in place.