Containment

“Containment” means restricting a new organism to a secure location that is an approved containment facility, eg. a laboratory or glasshouse. Containment facilities are designed and operated to prevent the release of the organism into the environment. A containment facility can be indoors or outdoors and includes field test sites.

Release into the environment 

“Release” means the new organism is freed into the New Zealand environment, ie. the new or genetically modified organism will not be kept in a secured area or field test site. An organism can be approved for release with or without controls.

Transhipping a new organism through New Zealand

If you are temporarily importing a new organism into New Zealand and then exporting it again within 20 working days, you need to apply to tranship a new organism in New Zealand. If the organism will be in New Zealand longer than 20 working days, you need to apply to import a new organism into containment.