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ER-AF-NO1-4 3/99 FORM 1 Application for approval to IMPORT FOR RELEASE OR RELEASE FROM CONTAINMENT ANY NEW ORGANISM under Section 34 of the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 Office use only Fees $ Date received / / Verified date / / Job manager ER-AF-NO1-4 3/99 Application for approval to import for release or FORM 1 release from containment any new organism under Section 34 of the Hazardous Substances Page 1 and New Organisms Act 1996 IMPORTANT Before you fill in this application form please talk to ERMA New Zealand. We can help you scope and prepare your application. The scale of information we need should match the potential significance of the application. For example, applications which may pose a significant risk to the environment or to human health need to be supported with more substantial information than applications which clearly pose a more minor risk. We need all relevant information early on in the application process. Quality information up front will speed up the process. Any extra material that does not fit in the application form must be clearly labelled and cross-referenced in the application form. Commercially sensitive information should be collated in a separate document. This form is in three parts. If you think your application may qualify for rapid assessment please check with us first and then complete only Parts A and B. Non rapid assessment applicants should complete Parts A and C only. All applicants must sign the form at the end of Part A and enclose the correct application fee. Please check ERMA New Zealand’s current pricing policy, we are unable to process applications that do not contain the correct fee. All references to regulations in this form, unless otherwise noted, refer to the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (New Organisms Forms and Information Requirements) Regulations 1998. Copies of all our application forms will soon also be available on our website: www.ermanz.govt.nz, and also in electronic form (MS Word format). If you have any suggestions for improvements to this form, please contact our operations staff at the address below. You can get more information at any time by telephoning, writing to, or calling in at our Wellington office. One of our staff members will be able to help you. List of application forms for new organisms: These are all our application forms related to new organisms. Please check you have the right one. Form 1 Application for approval under section 34 of the Act to import for release, or release from containment, any new organism – including rapid assessment (this form). Form 2 application for approval under section (40)(1)(a) of the Act to import into containment any new organism. Form 3 application for approval under section 40(1)(b) of the Act to develop in containment any genetically modified organism – including rapid assessment. Form 4 application for approval under section 40(1)(c) to field test (including large scale fermentation) in containment new organism. Form 5 application for approval under section 47 to use a new organism in an emergency. Form 6 application for approval under section 62 for grounds for reassessment of a new organism in containment. 20 Customhouse Quay, Cnr Waring Taylor & Customhouse Quay PO Box 131, Wellington Phone: 04-473 8426 Fax: 04-473 8433 Email: [email protected] Website: www.ermanz.govt.nz ER-AF-NO1-4 3/99 Application for approval to import for release or release from FORM 1 containment any new organism under Section 34 of the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 Page 2 Applicant details 1. Name and address in New Zealand of the applicant: This should be the organisation or person formally responsible for this application. Name: Hieracium Control Trust Address: c/- Federated Farmers of New Zealand (Inc.) P.O. Box 665 Timaru Phone: (03) 443 7155 Fax: (03) 443 7150 2. The applicant’s address for service in New Zealand (if different from above): Address: as above 3. Name of the contact person for the application (if different from applicant): This person should have sufficient knowledge to respond to queries and have the authority to make decisions on behalf of the applicant that relate to processing the application. Name: Mr John Aspinall Position: Chairman, Hieracium Control Trust Phone: (03) 443 7155 Fax: (03) 443 7150 Email: [email protected] 20 Customhouse Quay, Cnr Waring Taylor & Customhouse Quay PO Box 131, Wellington Phone: 04-473 8426 Fax: 04-473 8433 Email: [email protected] Website: www.ermanz.govt.nz ER-AF-NO1-4 3/99 Application for approval to import for release or release from FORM 1 containment any new organism under Section 34 of the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 Page 3 4. Summary Provide a summary of the information contained in this application relating to the identification of the organism. The information should include summaries of: - the identity of the organism; - if it is a genetically modified organism, the source of the donor nucleic acid material and the purpose of the modification; - what the organism will be used for and why it has been selected. Provide a summary of the information contained in this application relating to the assessment of the effects of the organism. The information should include summaries of: - the risks, costs and benefits of releasing the organism and the assessment of these. This summary will be used to provide information for those people and agencies (eg, Minister for the Environment, Department of Conservation, Regional Councils, etc.), who shall be notified of the application, and for potential submittors who request information. This information will also be used to prepare the public notice of the application. For these reasons, applicants should ensure that this summary information does not contain any commercially sensitive material. [ Yes/No? ] further information Approval is sought by the Hieracium Control Trust to release from containment three new organisms (Insecta: Diptera): the hieracium gall fly, Macrolabis pilosellae (Binnie), (Cecidomyiidae), the root-feeding hover fly, Cheilosia urbana Meigen (formerly C. praecox (Zetterstedt)) and the crown-feeding hover fly, C. psilophthalma (Becker) (Syrphidae). These three insect species have been identified by Landcare Research and CABI Bioscience (CAB International,UK) as part of a suite of six potential control agents likely to have the greatest impact as biological control agents for hawkweeds, Hieracium species (Asteraceae), in New Zealand. All three flies feed only on hawkweed, and cause no harm to humans or other organisms. Hawkweeds (Hieracium spp.) are serious weeds of hill and high country pastoral areas, as well as conservation land through large areas of New Zealand. As a result of invasion by Hieracium species a recent estimate placed one million stock units potentially at risk from reduced pasture production, representing a loss of up to $76M per annum. This figure does not include the environmental costs of losing large areas of native grasslands to these invasive weeds. The potential economic benefits of a successful biological control programme are such that costs should be recovered about 14 years following the release of agents. Environmental benefits of successful biological control include a return to healthier native grasslands, with increased biodiversity, and reduced erosion. Permission to release two other insect species, hieracium plume moth, Oxyptilus pilosellae Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pterophoridae), and hieracium gall wasp, Aulacidea subterminalis Niblett (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae), was granted by MAF Regulatory Authority on 18 February 1998 and 19 November 1998 respectively. The accidentally introduced rust fungus, Puccinia hieracii var. piloselloidarum, was under study as one of the six potential control agents when it was found to be established already in New Zealand. The most significant risk identified from the proposed release of these three new insects is the possible damage to non-target plants. However, host range tests have shown that this risk is very low: the insects fed and developed only on plant species in the genus Hieracium. Tests were carried out both in Switzerland and in an insect containment facility at Lincoln, New Zealand. 20 Customhouse Quay, Cnr Waring Taylor & Customhouse Quay PO Box 131, Wellington Phone: 04-473 8426 Fax: 04-473 8433 Email: [email protected] Website: www.ermanz.govt.nz ER-AF-NO1-4 3/99 Application for approval to import for release or release from FORM 1 containment any new organism under Section 34 of the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 Page 4 Several complementary control agents are generally required for a successful weed biological control programme. In this case there are two reasons for this. One is that there are four separate weeds, and not all control agents will attack all of them. The other is that it is usually necessary to use agents that feed on different parts of the plant so that it is weakened from several directions. The rust affects the leaves of H. pilosella, but is not effective on all genetic variations of plants within this species. The gall wasp, Aulacidea subterminalis, also attacks only H. pilosella, causing damage to stolons. The plume moth, Oxyptilus pilosellae, attacks both H. pilosella, and H. caespitosum, feeding in the crown of plants. The three insect species that are the subject of the current application feed on a broader range of plants. The gall fly, Macrolabis pilosellae, damages leaves of H. praealtum as