Further consultation on draft MPI Treatment Standard: Treatment Provider Requirements

Consultation background

Following the consultation that closed on 5 August 2022, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) invited your final feedback on the draft Treatment Standard: Treatment Provider Requirements.

Check the earlier consultation that closed on 5 August 2022

This standard sets out the requirements to all treatment providers requesting MPI approval to provide official treatments, Independent Verification Agencies (IVAs) authorised by MPI, and MPI inspectors under the Treatments Programme. The draft document is the result of amalgamating the:

• Treatment Supplier Standard [PDF, 905 KB], and
• Treatment Programme: Overview and General Requirements for the Supply of Official Treatments [PDF, 584 KB]

This has been done for ease of access, to clarify the roles and responsibilities of the programme participants, and to improve references to government legislation and MPI standards.

Consultation document

Draft MPI Treatment Standard: Treatment Provider Requirements [PDF, 1014 KB]

What was proposed?

Full details of the proposed changes are in the consultation document.

The key proposed changes include:

• incorporating the Health and Safety requirements to address health and safety concerns
• clarifying the roles and responsibilities of the programme participants
• an improved audit process
• added guidance statements to assist in the implementation of requirements
• improved references to government legislation and MPI standards.

The groups that will be directly impacted and the corresponding key proposed changes are listed here.

MPI Approved Treatment Providers (previously called treatment suppliers for both imports and exports)

All MPI Approved Treatment Providers (MATPs) contracted under the standard will be affected by the following proposed changes:

• Incorporated Health and Safety (H&S) requirements to address health and safety concerns by updating the Contract of Approval with a health and safety (H&S) schedule and incorporating the requirements within the document. All MATPs are required to move to the new contract.
• Improved the audit process.
• Added guidance statements to assist in the implementation of requirements.

MPI Approved Post-Entry Quarantine (PEQ) facility operators treating on arrival (imports only)

All PEQ Facility Operators treating on arrival will be affected by the following proposed changes:

• Formalised the current operational system by adding a process on how to become an MPI approved treatment provider.
• Added documentation requirements.
• Added guidance statements to assist in the implementation of requirements.

MPI Approved Seed for Sowing Treatment Providers at Treatment Facility (imports only)

All Seed for Sowing Treatment Providers at Transitional Facility (TF) will be affected by the consequences of the proposed changes, as follows:

• Changes to the standard will require updating of the reference as noted on Section 4.2.8 (2) Seed for Sowing Treatment TFs of the Facility Standard: Standard for Transitional Facilities for General Uncleared Risk Goods (TFGEN).

MPI Approved Organisations (MAOs) with Option 2 Phytosanitary Treatments (exports only)

All MAOs with Option 2 Phytosanitary Treatments will be affected by the consequences of the proposed changes, as follows:

• Changes to the standard will require updating of sections listed in Table 1 MAO Service Delivery Options of the MPI Certification: Organisation Standard (MAO standard).
• Only treatment providers that have approved contracts under the Treatment Supplier Programme are required to move to the updated contract of approval. If an MAO is contracted only to the MAO standard, the update on the contract does not apply.

MPI will update you on the alignment of the relevant MPI standards and the process on implementing the changes.