Biosecurity (Costs) Amendment Regulations 2026
Checking for alerts... Loading...
2026/155
Biosecurity (Costs) Amendment Regulations 2026
Cindy Kiro, Governor-General
Order in Council
At Wellington this 2nd day of June 2026
Present:
Her Excellency the Governor-General in Council
These regulations are made under section 165 of the Biosecurity Act 1993—
(a)
on the advice and with the consent of the Executive Council; and
(b)
on the recommendation of the Minister for Biosecurity made after consultation in accordance with section 164D(2) of that Act.
Contents
Regulations
1 Title
These regulations are the Biosecurity (Costs) Amendment Regulations 2026.
2 Commencement
These regulations come into force on 1 July 2026.
3 Principal regulations
These regulations amend the Biosecurity (Costs) Regulations 2010.
4 Regulation 3 amended (Interpretation)
In regulation 3(1), insert in their appropriate alphabetical order:
15-minute unit means any period of 15 minutes or less
standard working hours means the hours between 8 am and 5 pm on any day except—
(a)
a Saturday or Sunday; or
(b)
a public holiday or Ministry holiday
5 Regulation 6 amended (Payment of costs)
(1)
In regulation 6(2)(a), replace “regulation 8”
with “regulations 8 and 10B”
.
(2)
In regulation 6(2)(e), replace “outside standard working hours”
with “by a veterinary inspector”
.
(3)
In regulation 6(2)(f), after “done”
, insert “by a general inspector or a biosecurity adviser”
.
(4)
Revoke regulation 6(2)(g).
(5)
In regulation 6(2A)(b), replace “regulations 8 to 10E”
with “regulations 7A, 9, 10, 10A, 10B, and 10E”
.
6 Regulation 7 replaced (Hourly rate costs)
Replace regulation 7 with:
7 Hourly rate costs
(1)
Charges specified in these regulations as payable at an hourly rate must be calculated by—
(a)
adding together the total number of 15-minute units spent by an inspector or a biosecurity adviser on an activity, travel, waiting, or a call-out (as the case may be) at the applicable hourly rate; and
(b)
multiplying the total number of units by 25% of the applicable hourly rate.
(2)
If more than 1 hourly rate applies,—
(a)
charges must be calculated under subclause (1) in relation to the number of 15-minute units spent at each hourly rate; and
(b)
the charges calculated under paragraph (a) must be added together to provide the total amount that is payable in respect of hourly rate charges for that activity, travel, waiting, or call-out.
Example
A veterinary inspector works for 4 hours between 4.30 pm and 8.30 pm on a Monday (that is not a public holiday or Ministry holiday).
Two 15-minute units are worked at the hourly rate of $216.84. Two units multiplied by 25% of the hourly rate is $108.42.
Fourteen 15-minute units are worked at the hourly rate of $257.77. Fourteen units multiplied by 25% of the hourly rate is $902.195.
The rounded total of the above 2 sums is $1,010.62.
(3)
To avoid doubt, a minimum charge of 25% of the hourly rate is payable if the time spent by an inspector or a biosecurity adviser is 15 minutes or less.
(4)
Subclauses (1) and (2) do not apply to the calculation of a minimum charge under regulation 7A.
7A Minimum charges
(1)
A minimum charge is payable if a veterinary inspector works or travels for an activity—
(a)
on a weekday between—
(i)
12 am and 6 am:
(ii)
10 pm and 12 am:
(b)
on a Saturday:
(c)
on a Sunday:
(d)
on a public holiday or Ministry holiday.
(2)
If a veterinary inspector has worked or travelled in a period in which only 1 hourly rate applies, the minimum charge must be calculated using the following formula:
MC = 3 × a
where—
- MC
is the minimum charge
- a
is the relevant hourly rate set out in regulation 10B.
(3)
Subclauses (4) and (5) apply regardless of whether the veterinary inspector works or travels—
(a)
only during the time described in subclause (1); or
(b)
in a period that is partly within, and partly outside, the time described in subclause (1).
(4)
If a veterinary inspector has worked or travelled in a period in which 2 hourly rates apply, the minimum charge must be calculated using the following formula, which provides for the proportion of time spent at each hourly rate:
MC = 3 × [( a × b ÷ c) + (d × e ÷ c)]
where—
- MC
is the minimum charge
- a
is the first relevant hourly rate set out in regulation 10B
- b
is the number of 15-minute units worked at the first relevant hourly rate
- c
is the total number of 15-minute units worked
- d
is the second relevant hourly rate set out in regulation 10B
- e
is the number of 15-minute units worked at the second relevant hourly rate.
(5)
If a veterinary inspector has worked or travelled in a period in which 3 hourly rates apply, the minimum charge must be calculated using the following formula, which provides for the proportion of time spent at each hourly rate:
MC = 3 × [( a × b ÷ c) + (d × e ÷ c) + (f × g ÷ c)]
where—
- MC
is the minimum charge
- a
is the first relevant hourly rate set out in regulation 10B
- b
is the number of 15-minute units worked at the first relevant hourly rate
- c
is the total number of 15-minute units worked
- d
is the second relevant hourly rate set out in regulation 10B
- e
is the number of 15-minute units worked at the second relevant hourly rate
- f
is the third relevant hourly rate set out in regulation 10B
- g
is the number of 15-minute units worked at the third relevant hourly rate.
Example
A veterinary inspector works for 2 hours between 11 am and 1 pm on a Saturday (that is not a public holiday or Ministry holiday). The total number of 15-minute units worked is 8.
The first relevant hourly rate is $257.77 for work done between 11 am and 12 pm. The number of 15-minute units worked at this rate is 4.
The second relevant hourly rate is $298.70 for work done between 12 pm and 1 pm. The number of 15-minute units worked at this rate is 4.
The minimum charge payable is calculated under subclause (4) as set out below:
3 × [(257.77 × 4 ÷ 8) + (298.70 × 4 ÷ 8)]
The resulting minimum charge payable is $834.71.
7 Regulation 8 amended (Travel costs)
Replace regulation 8(4A) with:
(4A)
The hourly rates for travel costs for a veterinary inspector are set out in regulation 10B.
8 Regulation 10 amended (On-call charges and call-out costs)
(1)
In regulation 10(1A), replace “an inspector”
with “a general inspector”
.
(2)
In regulation 10(2)(a) and (b), replace “inspector”
with “general inspector”
.
(3)
Revoke regulation 10(4), (4B), and (4C).
(4)
Replace regulation 10(4A) with:
(4A)
The daily rate for call-out costs on a public holiday or Ministry holiday for a general inspector or a biosecurity adviser is $442.90 per day, in addition to the applicable hourly rate in subclause (3).
9 Regulation 10B replaced (Work done by veterinary inspectors outside standard working hours)
Replace regulation 10B with:
10B Hourly rates for work and travel of veterinary inspectors
(1)
This regulation sets out the hourly rates payable for a veterinary inspector for work and related travel for any activity prescribed in the second column of the Schedule.
(2)
The hourly rate for work or travel costs during standard working hours is $216.84.
(3)
The hourly rate for work or travel costs outside of standard working hours (except for a Saturday, Sunday, public holiday, or Ministry holiday) is—
(a)
$298.70 for hours between—
(i)
12 am and 6 am; and
(ii)
10 pm and 12 am:
(b)
$257.77 for hours between—
(i)
6 am and 8 am; and
(ii)
5 pm and 10 pm.
(4)
The hourly rate for work or travel costs on a Saturday (except for a public holiday or Ministry holiday) is—
(a)
$339.63 for hours between—
(i)
12 am and 6 am; and
(ii)
10 pm and 12 am:
(b)
$257.77 for hours between 6 am and 12 pm:
(c)
$298.70 for hours between 12 pm and 10 pm.
(5)
The hourly rate for work or travel costs on a Sunday (except for a public holiday or Ministry holiday) is—
(a)
$339.63 for hours between—
(i)
12 am and 6 am; and
(ii)
10 pm and 12 am:
(b)
$298.70 for hours between 6 am and 10 pm.
(6)
A fee of $654.88 per day is payable for work or travel on a public holiday or Ministry holiday in addition to the following hourly rates:
(a)
$257.77 for hours between—
(i)
12 am and 6 am; and
(ii)
10 pm and 12 am:
(b)
$216.84 for hours between 6 am and 10 pm.
10 Regulation 10D revoked (Penal costs)
Revoke regulation 10D.
11 Schedule amended
(1)
In the Schedule, items 1, 2, 7, 9, 10, 19, and 20, replace “$216.84 per hour for each veterinary inspector involved”
with “see regulation 10B for applicable hourly rate of each veterinary inspector involved”
.
(2)
In the Schedule, items 8, 11, 12, and 23, replace “$216.84 per hour for each veterinary inspector involved”
with “See regulation 10B for applicable hourly rate of each veterinary inspector involved”
.
(3)
In the Schedule, items 9 and 18A, replace “plus $216.84 per hour for each veterinary inspector”
with “and see regulation 10B for applicable hourly rate of each veterinary inspector”
.
Rachel Hayward,
Clerk of the Executive Council.
Explanatory note
This note is not part of the regulations but is intended to indicate their general effect.
These regulations, which come into force on 1 July 2026, amend the Biosecurity (Costs) Regulations 2010.
These regulations make changes to the fees payable for time spent by veterinary inspectors performing specialist functions and activities necessary for the import of live animals or germplasm.
These changes include—
removing references to call-out costs and penal costs for veterinary inspectors:
setting out the hourly rates payable for veterinary inspectors’ work and travel:
providing that a minimum charge is payable if a veterinary inspector works or travels on a weekend, public holiday, Ministry holiday, or between 12 am and 6 am or 10 pm and 12 am on a weekday:
clarifying the method for calculating hourly rates.
Date of notification in Gazette: 3 June 2026.
These regulations are administered by the Ministry for Primary Industries.
Versions
Biosecurity (Costs) Amendment Regulations 2026
RSS feed link copied, you can now paste this link into your feed reader.