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Welcome
This is the first e-newsletter using the recently upgraded Association website. We plan to use this feature to provide more regular news and information that is relevant to members and other interested parties.
If you have questions or feedback about anything in this e-Newsletter, please contact Rachel Harvie.
Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act
You may know that from September this year the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act 2007 will regulate the kinds of messages you can be sent by email or text. The email addresses we use have either been registered online or by your registration with the NZ Cold Storage Association.
If at any stage you wish to unsubscribe from this e-newsletter please reply to this email with unsubscribe in the subject line. If we do not hear from you, we will assume you are still comfortable receiving our e-Newsletter by email until you let us know otherwise
2007 Conference
The 2007 Annual Conference was a great success with a range of topical and high profile speakers, a fantastic trade exhibition, excellent social events and great entertainment. The "Great Debate" - a new feature to this year's conference - was a hilarious exchange on the serious topic of Global Warming.
Click here for a full summary of the conference.
Next year's conference will be in Wellington in October - dates and venues to be advised soon.
Website Sponsorship
We are currently developing a proposal for Members and Associate Members to be able to gain a high profile through the Association's website. A number of sponsorship opportunities will be available to assist us in the maintainance and further development of the website. Prime positioning of sponsor logos and links on both the website and this e-newsletter are likely outcomes of this proposal.
If you are interested in sponsorship of the website and/or e-newsletter, please contact Rachel Harvie.
Exotic Disease & Pest Response (EDPR)
The following was issued by NZFSA Verification Agency on 29 October as Technical Brief 07/12. Previous notification had been sent out via Technical Brief 07/08
"On 1 November 2007 NZFSA Verification Agency assumes the role of lead Agency for Exotic Disease Preparedness and Response (EDPR) in the above premises . Industry operators will be responsible for implementing and maintaining documented site plans which would be implemented during an EDPR event.
NZFSA VA has prepared generic templates for industry sectors. These include a menu of suggested options that will need to be further tailored to the specific situation of each site, to produce the operator’s site plan. Alternatively an operator may have an existing plan that covers all the elements in the templates.
At the next visit due, VA staff will assist operators with adaptation/completion of site plans, or confirm that existing site plans meet requirements. VA Verification of the site plans will occur at the subsequent due visit.
VA Technical Supervisors will be able to access the generic templates and instructions on the `EDPR' site on the `Programs' page of the VA website. Note that the templates have been posted as working drafts and can be obtained from VA Staff."
Following enquiries by the Association, we recsived the following advice regarding these programmes:
"We have set the templates up to simplify the process, and ask that VA staff assist operators in tailoring the template to the premises. Operators may already have adequate plans (set up previously), but our experience in the other sectors is that it is simpler to start afresh with the templates and TTS assistance.
TTS will be talking to the premises they service to assist in the process at the next due verification – it is not a `comply at once’ situation: rather a work together to achieve, and the outcome of the verification of EDPR plans cannot contribute to the outcome of the PBV audits."
The following template and guidance documents have been received from NZFSA VA:
EDPR Guidance Document
EDPR Stores Template
Review of RMP Evaluation
NZFSA are proposing a number of changes to the way in which Risk Management Programmes will be evaluated – this could have a significant impact on industry. You are encouraged to review this proposal which can be down loaded as a PDF document from the NZFSA website - Click here to be transferred directly.
Comments on this document are due by 17 December 2007. The Cold Storage Association will be preparing a submission on behalf of the sector and would appreciate your input to this submission. Please contact Rachel Harvie if you have comments you would like to have included.
You are also welcome to submit your comments directly to NZFSA.
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