OIA22-0926
1 February 2023
Tangata Whenua
[FYI request #21431 email]
Dear Tangata Whenua
Thank you for your email of 15 December 2022 requesting information relating to the
National Biocontainment Laboratory. Your request has been considered under the Of icial
Information Act 1982 (OIA).
You requested
•
Are pharmaceutical companies responsible for manufacturing vaccines make
donations to / sponsor/contribute/or otherwise provide funding to the new, state-of-
the-art national biocontainment laboratory in Wallacevil e, Upper Hutt.
•
The construction of the facility, which wil hold samples of diseases like anthrax, avian
flu, rabies, and Covid-19, began in 2015 and cost the Ministry for Primary Industries
$87 mil ion.
The National Biocontainment Laboratory was designed to provide a safe environment for
diagnostics exotic disease work and biosecurity related research supporting the Ministry of Health
with human-health diseases. Alongside this, the lab also supports our national surveil ance
programmes in animal populations. It may also become an international reference centre for
zoonotic diseases. It would be New Zealand’s first veterinary lab to be recognised internationally –
also a strong endorsement of the team’s capability.
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) did not receive any sponsorship or donations for the
National Biocontainment Laboratory. MPI do provide diagnostic testing services to pharmaceutical
companies on a fee for service basis when testing is not available at other testing services in the
country. This testing is for quality assurance of animal products when such assurance is required
for a product to be approved for export.
MPI is not aware of any commercial arrangements that ESR (New Zealand's Crown Research
Institute) may have in place that may involve pharmaceutical companies. ESR lease a laboratory
inside the facility. For more information please refer to our website-
https:/ www.mpi.govt.nz/science/laboratories/national-animal-health-laboratory/national-
biocontainment-laboratory/
Charles Fergusson Building, 34-38 Bowen Street
PO Box 2526
Wellington 6140, New Zealand
biosecurity.govt.nz
I trust the information provided is of assistance. Should you have any concerns with this
response, I would encourage you to raise these with the Ministry for Primary Industries at
[email address]. Alternatively, you are advised of your right to also raise
any concerns with the Of ice of the Ombudsman. Contact details are: Office of the
Ombudsman, PO Box 10152, Wellington 6143 or at
[email address].
Yours sincerely
Veronica Herrera
Director, Diagnostic & Surveil ance Services
2