The 2010 New Zealand Biosecurity Institute annual conference was held in Blenheim from 21-23rd July 2010.

The conference featured biosecurity issues relevant to the southern South Island such as rabbits, didymo, wilding trees, and pest eradications from islands. Papers covering topics relevant to current biosecurity and pest management issues were welcome.

Well, another NETS has been and gone and “touch, pause, engage” seemed to stimulate the majority of you who provided feedback, both via evaluation forms and messages to members of the organising committee.

During NETS we were “touched” by progress in the areas of weed and vertebrate pest control by our keynote speakers, we paused” to consider the great steps towards restoration of degraded ecosystems around the Waikato, and finally we “engaged” in the discussion groups looking at technology in the field, pests or resources and aquatic surveillance. At least that was the plan, and I’m sure other interpretations of the theme were made!

On behalf of the committee, I’d like to sincerely thank all the keynote speakers, the other presenters and chairs of each session, workshop and field trip organisers and helpers, and for everyone who came along and made the event such a big success.
We were overwhelmed by the generosity of our sponsors and special thanks go to the major sponsors:

Environment Waikato, University of Waikato Centre for Biodiversity and Ecology Research, Landcare Research, MAF Biosecurity New Zealand, and AgChallenge.

My personal highlights were Kay Gregory’s welcome to Hamilton; Ben Minehan’s excellent presentation on battles with Chilean needle grass (worthy recipient of the Stook); Lynley and Carolyn’s joint presentation of the Peter Ingram Memorial Award; the band (especially when it was raining men!!); and Kingsley Field’s masterful closing address.

Our committee worked together very well, with plenty of humour and everyone made major contributions to the planning, preparation and running the seminar. Many thanks go to Sara Brill, Jeanie Byers, Kevin Christie, Kirsten Crawford, Chris Hale, Trevor James, Andy Laurenson, Wendy Mead and Heidi Pene.

Carolyn Lewis was our conference organiser, and did she organise!! Thanks Carolyn, we couldn’t have done it without you.

So, on to Queenstown for NETS2009. Hope to see you all there.

View Gallery

The program from the conference can be viewed here.

Cheers
Paul Champion
Chair of NETS2008 Organising Committee

NETS2004 was held from 21-23 July 2004 at the Grand Tiara, Rotorua. This event was again run in association with the Vertebrate Pest Management Institute of New Zealand (VPMINZ). The programme included speakers from Australia and Japan, as well as scientists and field workers, community group members and biosecurity managers from throughout New Zealand. Two fieldtrips were run, one to Onuku Station to view restoration work, and one to view CoastCare work in the Bay of Plenty. Three facilitated workshops were also included, the outcomes of which will be included in the Spring issue of Protect magazine.

The abstracts of the presentations from the 2004 seminar can be downloaded here (pdf format). Copies of selected presentations will be available in the members area soon.