The Public Service border sector works together to protect our people, economy and environment. They do this by preventing harmful pests, diseases and illicit goods such as drugs from entering Aotearoa New Zealand.
New Zealand Customs Officer with arriving passengers
Tā te rāngai mana ārai mahi What the border sector does
Border sector organisations provide a border management system that supports trade and travel. The New Zealand Customs Service (Customs) works with a range of organisations at the border, including:
- Ministry for Primary Industries, which manages biosecurity
- Te Manatū Waka Ministry of Transport, which oversees travel through our borders
- Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment, which works with regulatory systems that affect movement over the border
- Civil Aviation Authority which screens passengers and their luggage at airports and works closely with other border and government organisations both here and overseas
- Maritime New Zealand which works toward the safety, security and environmental protection of coastal and inland waterways.
In addition, the Ministry of Health focuses on preventing, detecting and responding to public health risks at the border. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade contributes to cross-agency coordination and policy-making on the border system. New Zealand Police works with Customs in regards to national security. New Zealand Defence Force protects our interests at sea, including border patrol as part of its maritime work.
Customs also hosts New Zealand's Border Executive Board, which works to ensure the border is working smartly and safely, and can reduce risk from arrivals.
The border sector keeps New Zealand safe by reducing risks from people, goods or craft arriving at the border.
New Zealand Customs Officer and detector dog inspecting containers
Who works in the border sector
The border sector employs a wide variety of people, including:
- customs officers, dog handlers and trainers
- policy advisors and managers
- surveillance specialists who monitor for pests and diseases
- marine technicians, operational administrators and divers
- police officers, detectives and security personnel.
Ngā painga o te rāngai mana ārai mō Aotearoa How the border sector benefits New Zealand
Working together, the border sector helps protect our environment and economy, as well as our people. The sector also helps ensure our safety when using air travel, by detecting potential threats and hazards.
Stopping harmful pests and diseases at the border means they don’t become established and cause damage to New Zealand’s ecosystem health and agriculture. The border sector also reduces illicit drugs coming into the country and prevents harmful substances from moving freely into New Zealand, which reduces the social harm their use would have caused.
Ngā whakahaere rāngai mana ārai Border sector organisations
These are the main Public Service organisations responsible for New Zealand’s border sector.
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Border Executive Board
The Border Executive Board is hosted by the New Zealand Customs Services to deliver an integrated and effective border system. It works to ensure the border is working smartly and safely, and is able to reduce risk from arrivals. The 6 organisations involved in the Board are:
- New Zealand Customs Service (Chair)
- Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
- Ministry of Health
- Ministry for Primary Industries
- Ministry of Transport.
Website
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Te Mana Rererangi Tūmatanui o Aotearoa | Civil Aviation Authority
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is a Crown agent and works to make sure everyone involved in New Zealand aviation meets the legal standards set by the Minister of Transport. New Zealand’s civil aviation community includes licensed pilots, engineers, and air traffic controllers, as well as aviation operators like airlines, aerodromes, flying schools, and aircraft maintenance organisations.
There are 2 parts to the CAA:
- the agency overseeing aviation safety and security, and the rules underpinning it
- the Aviation Security Service, known as AvSec, who work at airports screening passengers and their luggage.
Sectors
Chair
Jill Hatchwell, Chair
Website
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Nō te rere moana Aotearoa | Maritime New Zealand
Maritime New Zealand is a Crown Agent that leads and supports the maritime community to take responsibility for making sure our seas and inland waterways are safe, secure and clean for everyone. It licenses and certifies seafarers and commercial operations, educates the maritime community and plays a role in both enforcing regulations and investigating accidents.
Sectors
Chair
Dame Jo Brosnahan QSO, Chair
Website
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Manatū Ahu Matua | Ministry for Primary Industries
The Ministry for Primary Industries manages and regulates the farming, fishing, food, animal welfare, biosecurity and forestry sectors of New Zealand's primary industries. It helps ensure the food we produce is safe, increases sustainable resource use and protects New Zealand from biological risk.
Sectors
Leader
Ray Smith, Te Tumu Whakarae mō ngā Ahumahi Matua | Director-General of Primary Industries and Chief Executive
Current Public Service Leaders
Leadership groups
Public Service Leadership Team
Website
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Hīkina Whakatutuki | Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment works to grow Aotearoa New Zealand for all. It includes service providers, policy makers, investors and regulators. It engages with diverse communities, businesses and regions. Its work touches on the daily lives of New Zealanders. It’s focus is to grow opportunities (Puāwai), guard and protect (Kaihāpai) and innovate and navigate towards a better future (Auaha).
Sectors
Leader
Carolyn Tremain, Te Tumu Whakarae mō Hīkina Whakatutuki | Secretary for Business, Innovation, and Employment and Chief Executive
Current Public Service Leaders
Leadership groups
Public Service Leadership Team
Website
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Manatū Aorere | Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade/Manatū Aorere (MFAT) leads work on the Government’s international priorities and provides advice about how international events and activities affect New Zealand. It delivers Aotearoa New Zealand’s international development programme; negotiates international trading relationships; provides essential consular services to New Zealanders; leads New Zealand’s international effort to support peace and resilience, particularly in the Pacific region, and engagement on global issues such as climate change and disarmament. The Ministry runs New Zealand’s 60 overseas diplomatic posts.
Sectors
Leader
Bede Corry, Te Tumu Whakarae mō ngā Take Aorere | Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Chief Executive
Current Public Service Leaders
Leadership groups
Public Service Leadership Team
Website
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Manatū Hauora | Ministry of Health
The Ministry of Health leads New Zealand’s health and disability system, in coordination with Health New Zealand. It provides a range of support, information, and health services that enable people in Aotearoa New Zealand to live healthy lives It also funds, monitors and drives the performance improvements of other health sector entities.
Sectors
Leader
Professor Diana Sarfati, Te Tumu Whakarae mō te Hauora | Director-General of Health and Chief Executive
Current Public Service Leaders
Leadership groups
Public Service Leadership Team
Website
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Te Manatū Waka | Ministry of Transport
Te Manatū Waka is the system lead on transport. It provides advice about how the transport needs to change to support the New Zealand economy and the transport needs of New Zealanders. It works in partnership with a number of transport agencies covering air, sea and land to help keep the transport system moving.
Sectors
Leader
Audrey Sonerson, Te Tumu Whakarae mō ngā Waka | Secretary for Transport and Chief Executive
Current Public Service Leaders
Leadership groups
Public Service Leadership Team
Website
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Te Mana Ārai o Aotearoa | New Zealand Customs Service
The New Zealand Customs Service provides border services that protect New Zealand and advance our economy. It ensures that lawful people, goods and craft can move across our borders easily, while stopping threats or illicit goods such as drugs, weapons, and objectionable material from entering New Zealand. It also helps to promote international trade and collect Crown revenue. Through its work, it protects the wellbeing and livelihood of people in New Zealand.
Sectors
Leader
Christine Stevenson, Te Tumu Whakarae mō Te Mana Ārai | Comptroller of Customs and Chief Executive
Current Public Service Leaders
Leadership groups
Public Service Leadership Team
Website
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Te Ope Kātua o Aotearoa | New Zealand Defence Force
The New Zealand Defence Force works to keep Aotearoa New Zealand safe and secure. It protects the sovereign territory of New Zealand including our Exclusive Economic Zone. It advances New Zealand’s interests through military operations at sea, on land and in the air. Its equipment and expertise support people and communities who are in need at home, across the nation and around the world.
Sectors
Leader
Air Marshal Tony Davies, Chief of Defence Force
Leadership groups
Public Service Leadership Team
Website
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Ngā Pirihimana o Aotearoa | New Zealand Police
New Zealand Police works with the community to make New Zealanders be and feel safe, providing policing services 24 hours a day. It operates across land, sea and air to prevent crimes and crashes. It invests in relationships with tangata whenua to jointly reduce offending and victimisation within Māori communities.
Sectors
Leader
Richard Chambers, Commissioner of Police
Leadership groups
Public Service Leadership Team
Website
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