New Zealand and Australia expand cooperation on farm input regulation

New Zealand and Australia have signed a bilateral agreement to coordinate the assessment of new agricultural compounds and veterinary medicines, a move officials say will streamline regulatory processes and reduce approval times for products entering both markets.

The accord, signed by New Zealand Food Safety and the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA), is designed to increase the region’s appeal to developers of new crop-protection and animal-health technologies. Regulators plan to share assessments, cross-train staff and reduce duplication, drawing on broadly aligned standards on both sides of the Tasman Sea.

New Zealand Food Safety deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle said the arrangement will “bring the infrastructure of both countries to bear” and create efficiencies for the primary sector, which depends on timely access to new technologies. He added that closer alignment with Australia follows recommendations from New Zealand’s Agricultural and Horticultural Products Regulatory Review, which called for more use of international evaluations to save time and resources.

APVMA chief executive Scott Hansen said the partnership supports the agency’s mandate to seek efficiencies through global cooperation, an objective outlined in the Australian government’s recent review of agricultural chemical regulation. While each regulator must still meet domestic legislative requirements, Hansen said shared technical work will help both maintain industry and public confidence.

Officials described the pact as a model for future collaboration with other international regulators as both countries look to strengthen supply chains and provide farmers with quicker access to innovative inputs.