About MPI

Legislation

Legal Responsibilities

The Ministerial portfolios of Agriculture, Forestry, Biosecurity, Fisheries and Aquaculture are responsible for a large number of statutory and regulatory processes arising from wide-ranging legislation. Many of these processes involve a high degree of delegated authority to the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), due to MPI's technical, scientific and necessarily apolitical nature.

Legislation administered by MPI as at 1 July 2011 is listed below. Full texts are available at the New Zealand Legislation website.

Public Acts

Aquaculture Reform (Repeals and Transitional Provisions) Act 2004
Agricultural and Pastoral Societies Act 1908
Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Act 1997
Animal Control Products Limited Act 1991
Animal Identification Act 1993
Animal Products Act 1999
Animal Products (Ancillary and Transitional Provisions) Act 1999
Animal Welfare Act 1999
Apple and Pear Industry Restructuring Act Repeal Act 2001
Biosecurity Act 1993
Commodity Levies Act 1990
Dairy Industry Restructuring Act 2001
Fisheries Act 1996
Fisheries (Quota Operations Validation) Act 1997
Food Act 1981
Forestry Encouragement Act 1962
Forestry Rights Registration Act 1983
Forests Act 1949
Forests (West Coast Accord) Act 2000
Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 (relevant to MPI in respect of new organisms under section 97A)
Hop Industry Restructuring Act 2003
Irrigation Schemes Act 1990
Kiwifruit Industry Restructuring Act 1999
Māori Commercial Aquaculture Claims Settlement Act 2004
Māori Fisheries Act 1989
Māori Fisheries Act 2004
Meat Board Act 2004
Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (Restructuring) Act 1995
Ministries of Agriculture and Forestry (Restructuring) Act 1997
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (Restructuring) Act 1998
New Zealand Horticulture Export Authority Act 1987
Phosphate Commission of NZ Dissolution Act 1989
Plants Act 1970
Pork Industry Board Act 1997
Potato Industry Act Repeal Act 1988
Poultry Board Act Repeal Act 1989
Primary Products Marketing Act 1953
Public Works Act 1981 (Part XIX - Irrigation)
Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture Act 1953
Taratahi Agricultural Training Centre (Wairarapa) Act 1969
Treaty of Waitangi (Fisheries Claims) Settlement Act 1992
Veterinarians Act 2005
Walking Access Act 2008
Wine Act 2003
Wool Industry Restructuring Act 2003

In addition to these Public Acts, the Ministry administers a significant number of Regulations related to the management of fisheries within New Zealand.