There are a number of databases that can help you determine if your organism was present in New Zealand before 29 July 1998. Any organism that is officially recorded as being present in the New Zealand environment before this date is not a new organism.
If you need help to work out if it is a new organism or believe the organism you wish to import or work with has been incorrectly classed as a new organism, then you can apply to us to determine whether it is new or not (ie. whether it is present in New Zealand).
We can help you to determine an organism’s status by either:
Request non-statutory advice about an organism’s status
You can request that we provide non-statutory advice about whether an organism is already present and therefore not a new organism. Non-statutory advice is informal and is provided free of charge.
Application to formally determine an organism’s status
You can make an application to legally determine whether an organism should be classed as a new organism or not. This is a more appropriate option than non-statutory advice in certain circumstances.
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