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Useful experience for biosecurity officers includes:

• farm work
• plant nursery work
• work with animals
• conservation work
• laboratory or scientific work
• work involving contact with the public
• work handling pesticides and chemicals.

Biosecurity officers may do some or all of the following:

• inspect and monitor plants, land and water for pests
• advise landowners to destroy pests and check that they comply with their legal obligations
• remove and destroy pests, or arrange for them to be removed and destroyed by pest control technicians
• gather data from experimental eradication projects
• educate the public about animal and plant pests and how to control them
• prepare reports or charges against any breaches of the Biosecurity Act
• manage pest eradication and restoration projects – for example, planting native plants along a river's edge
• writing and implementing new policy such as national and regional pest management plans.

Increased government funding for biosecurity means more jobs

Demand for biosecurity officers is strong because the Government's Biosecurity 2025 strategy focuses on better management of invasive pests and disease. 

Increased funding to implement the strategy has led to a growing number of biosecurity jobs in central and regional government agencies such as:

• Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI)
• Department of Conservation (DOC)
• regional councils.

According to the Census, 225 biosecurity officers worked in New Zealand in 2018.

Opportunities expanding in primary industry businesses

Opportunities for biosecurity officers are also growing in primary industry organisations, such as DairyNZ, Horticulture New Zealand and Federated Farmers, as they are recognising that good pest management can cut down on costs. (Primary industry organisations turn natural resources, such as crops, into products.) In response, some primary industry businesses have set up biosecurity response teams, which means more jobs for biosecurity officers.

Getting hands-on experience can open doors for biosecurity graduates

Demand is best for experienced biosecurity officers, but graduates can increase their chances of getting work by:

• having some hands-on experience, which can include volunteering with DOC or on council projects, or applying for a summer placement with a regional council
• doing a science-related degree that has a component of practical work
• being able to work well and communicate with different groups of people, as the job involves liaising with the public, landowners, iwi and other partners such as DOC
• running education programmes to inform the public about plant pests and how they can help prevent their spread.   

Most biosecurity officers work for regional councils

Most biosecurity officers work for regional councils. They may also work for:

• primary industry organisations 
• companies that provide pest and disease monitoring and management services
• companies that manufacture pesticides or develop pest management technologies.

Ministry for Primary Industries

0800 00 83 33 - www.mpi.govt.nz

With experience, council biosecurity officers can move into:

• team leader or senior management roles
• policy roles
• private consultancy positions.

They may also set up their own pest control businesses.

Biosecurity officers need to be:

• observant, reliable and responsible
• tactful, firm and calm
• skilled communicators and negotiators.