Our role as New Zealand Bee Health & Biosecurity
New Zealand beekeepers
We’re here for
With a dedicated team spread across Aotearoa, NZ Bee Health & Biosecurity is a not-for-profit organisation funded exclusively by beekeeper levies that supports NZ beekeepers in their fight against AFB.
Our team works closely with all New Zealand beekeepers to provide education for the effective management of AFB and securely collects data via HiveHub (our national apiary database) which is used to track and manage the disease nationwide.
We support NZ beekeepers to meet their legal obligations under the American Foulbrood National Pest Management Plan (AFB NPMP) and we are required to take action and prevent the spread of AFB. This protects beekeeping operations and neighbouring colonies from the financial impacts of AFB spread and safeguards the sector’s export markets.
Together, we can eliminate AFB from managed colonies and enter a future where effective AFB elimination is part of the standard operating procedures for every beekeeping operation. Our team, many of whom are beekeepers themselves, are proud to support the NZ beekeeping community in achieving this goal.
NZBB’s Strategic Direction
NZBB’s goal is to reduce the national incidence of American Foulbrood (AFB) to 0.2% by 2031 and build a more resilient, future-ready beekeeping industry for Aotearoa New Zealand.
Our Strategic Plan 2026–2031 is built around four pillars that focus on lifting beekeeper capability, accelerating early detection and management of AFB, strengthening sector partnerships, and improving the industry’s adaptability to managing AFB outbreaks.
Healthy bees mean a healthy industry. And that takes all of us.
Enforcing
AFB NPMP
Beekeepers have several legal obligations that must be met under the Biosecurity (National American Foulbrood Pest Management Plan) Order 1998. The AFB NPMP grants powers to NZ Bee Health & Biosecurity to enforce compliance with these legal obligations, in the interest of all beekeeping operations and the health of the beekeeping sector.
DATA_CHECK
Learn more about how we do this EAST
Consultation on NZBB Advisory Group
Advisory Group (AG) Consultation – Have Your Say
The New Zealand Bee Health & Biosecurity Charitable Trust (NZBB) is inviting all Aotearoa New Zealand beekeepers to share their views on how our first Advisory Group (AG) should be set up.
Since NZBB was established in 2025, the Board has been committed to forming an AG to provide specialist advice—especially on AFB elimination—to support better decision‑making for our industry.
The Board is undertaking a consultation with all Aotearoa New Zealand beekeepers on how to best form an AG and help determine the final design.
What is an Advisory Group (AG)?
The NZBB Trust Deed allows the Board to create Advisory Groups to gather expert input on any topic, as long as AG members are not also Board members.
NZBB sees the AG as an important two‑way communication channel between beekeepers, industry stakeholders, and the Board. It’s designed to be practical, sustainable, and accessible.
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For beekeepers and industry stakeholders, the AG provides a way to:
Closely examine issues or opportunities facing the sector.
Share knowledge, experience, and passion about AFB elimination.
Connect with others in the industry.
Give advice directly to the Board and act as a conduit to provide grassroots knowledge.
For the Board, the AG provides a source of:
Specialist knowledge and advice.
Insight into beekeepers’ perspectives.
Help with solving problems, generating new ideas, and promote innovation.
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The AG is intended to:
Bring together the experience and knowledge of technical experts, beekeepers, and industry players to advise the Board on topics of shared interest or concern.
Provide the Board with an ongoing source of insight and information to support decision‑making related to AFB elimination.
Offer another practical way for beekeepers to collaborate, share their views, and identify actions that support industry progress and NZBB’s core objectives.
Help NZBB stay connected to grassroots beekeepers and foster cooperation across the industry.
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The Board has identified four possible AG structures and is seeking your feedback on which approach will work best.
Note: There is no NZBB funding for any of the four options and AG members will not receive honorariums.
Option A: Technical AG
A small group of technical experts, serving a term of less than 6 months, and who provide rapid advice on a specific topic.
Option B: Technical + Beekeeper AG
A permanent AG made up of technical experts and self‑nominated beekeepers, serving a 12‑month term.
Option C: Stakeholder + Technical AG
A permanent AG with a 12‑month term, comprising:
Beekeepers nominated by beekeeper organisations.
Technical experts selected by the Board.
Option D: Stakeholder AG
A permanent AG made up of beekeepers elected by beekeeper organisations, with an 18‑month term.
description
Download the AG consultation document
Everything you need to know east
CONTRACT_EDIT
NZBB Advisory Group email submissions
What Happens Next
After the consultation closes, the NZBB Board will:
Review all submissions and share feedback with beekeepers via email and social media.
Report the outcome of the consultation to the Minister for Biosecurity.
Develop a Terms of Reference (TOR) for the AG and begin work to implement the chosen option.
If responses show no clear beekeeper preference—or if fewer than 5% of registered beekeepers participate—the Board will adopt Option A by default.
CONTRACT_EDIT
NZBB Advisory Group online submissions
Our
team
Meet the dedicated team supporting New Zealand beekeepers in their fight against AFB.
Board members
Chair
Mark Dingle - June 2026 (2nd term ends)
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Mark is the Principal Consultant of Evaluate! He has completed a variety of public sector project and programme management roles in the social housing, transport, health, and education sectors, in New Zealand and internationally. He has extensive experience implementing strategic change and investment programmes that rely on robust analyses and risk assessments, from which to make sound decisions.
Mark is a keen hobbyist Beekeeper and a member of the local Christchurch Beekeepers club.
Deputy Chair
Val Graham - June 2026 (2nd term ends)
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Val is a marketing consultant specializing in customer experience, customer measurement and data-driven strategy. Prior to that, she was in financial services marketing in the private sector, both in the UK and NZ, for over 20 years, and was a university lecturer in marketing for undergraduate degree and masters level. She has been on the Board of North Harbour Rugby Union since 2014 and a judge in the NZ Export Awards since 2015.
A keen hobbyist beekeeper, she is looking to promote sustainable and healthier honey bee populations.
Trent Proffit - July 2029 (2nd term ends)
Murray Elwood - Oct 2029 (2nd term ends)
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Trent is currently General Manager of one of the country’s largest Iwi owned commercial honey businesses. Having spent over a decade focused on operational management across Primary Industry, he made the transition to commercial beekeeping 6 years ago and hasn’t looked back.
Throughout this period, he has worked from the hive to market in a number of beekeeping businesses. Being based on the East Coast, he is passionate about the regions and the opportunity sustainable beekeeping provides.
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Murray joined the AFB PMP Board in December 2023. Murray Elwood has been a commercial beekeeper for the past 32 years. Murray and Nicky (his wife) run a beekeeping partnership with 2,500 hives.
Murray has experience in many aspects of running a honey business, from hive management and bee health, to extracting, packing, processing, and exporting the partnership’s honey products. Murray is passionate about beekeeping and believes in our industry and the wonderful products that are produced in New Zealand.
Jody Mitchell - Sept 2028 (1st term ends)
Advisor to Board
Hayley Pragert
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For over 20 years Jody with husband Ralph own, manage and beekeep Kaimai Range Honey with their family in the Bay of Plenty. After consolidating they now run 1000 hives commercially and provide local pollination services.
Together they have built New Zealand's most awarded honey company, gaining New Zealand’s first Apimondia World Honey Award and Jody going on to become an International Judge.
She was an AP2 and BOP Disease Coordinator and has well-established relationships across the beekeeping and kiwifruit sectors.
She has a passion for bees, Honey Sensory Analyse (Italian and NZ trained) and promoting New Zealand’s fabulous specialty honeys.
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Hayley is an advisor, working for the Ministry for Primary Industries in bee biosecurity, and previously for the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries.
Hayley is currently involved in bee research and preparedness programmes, specifically, the Bee Pathogen Programme and the ApiWellbeing project.
MPI Observer
John Sanson
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Bio for John has not yet been provided
Lubomir Dudek - June 2027 (1st term ends)
Brian McCall - Sept 2028 (1st term ends)
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Lubo is an accomplished leader and manager with over two decades of national and international experience in apiculture, primarily at the commercial level. He recently transitioned from his role as the General Manager of a large beekeeping company to focus on international sales, marketing, and business development. Lubo brings his management and organisational skills to the Board, as well as strategic and innovative thinking blended with a longstanding passion for bees and apiculture.
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Brian is an experienced apiculture leader with nearly 30 years in commercial beekeeping between Canada and NZ. He has been in a national leadership role since 2016 at Manuka Health NZ and he specialises in hive health, AFB compliance, and operational excellence across large-scale commercial systems.
Brian has contributed to New Zealand’s apiculture sector through governance, research, and capability development — including co-authoring the 2025 Evaluating Over-Winter Colony Losses paper, participating in the NZ Colony Loss Survey, and serving four years on the Apiculture NZ Skills & Education Focus Group overseeing the development of the national apiculture apprenticeship.
NZ Bee Health & Biosecurity Team
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Niha has worked for the past 10 years in various roles in the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), most recently in the Response Group in Biosecurity New Zealand where she led and managed post-border biosecurity responses to complex pests and pathogens, in partnership with mana whenua, Industry and non-Industry partners.
Niha is passionate about driving a system and education change for eliminating AFB in New Zealand; through her understanding of complex biosecurity issues and collaborating with the sector.
Email: niharika.long@nzbb.org.nz
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Marco is an AP1 responsible for managing the National AFB surveillance and inspection function including the supervision of AP2s.
Marco has a strong background of AFB management and biosecurity, working as an Apiary Officer with AsureQuality from 2006 to 2017, and as a Compliance Manager at Midlands Apiaries Ltd.Phone: 0800 232 767 ext 302
DDI: 03 926 3240
Mobile: 022 0169 669
Email: marco.gonzalez@nzbb.org.nz
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Dwayne started bee keeping in 1999 and has a passion for bee health. He has managed AFB across different parts of the country and in varying apiary sizes with great elimination success. When he's not helping with AFB elimination you can find him enjoying the outdoors with his large family.
Phone: 0800 232 767 ext 305
DDI: 06 928 4137
Mobile: 027 7660 145
Email: dwayne.hill@nzbb.org.nz
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Lauretta joined NZBB in April 2026
She has bought to the team her knowledge in accounts/finance and administration that she has gained throughout her career. She enjoys working with numbers and problem solving.
She is excited to contribute to an organization that delivers value and benefits to people throughout New Zealand.
Phone: 0800 232 767 ext 313
DDI: 03 930 8380
Email: lauretta.cameron@nzbb.org.nz
AFB Recognition Course Training Coordinator (part time)
Kris Tamin
Apiary Coordinator
Paula Michelle Rich
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Paula joined the Management Agency in 2024 with an extensive background in legal and medical administration. Paula has a strong interest in accurate data management and clear communication and endeavours to help beekeepers understand their responsibilities and the legal processes they need to follow to help keep AFB in check. Outside work Paula loves to spend time in nature or relax with music or a good book.
Phone: 0800 232 767 ext 308
DDI: 03 930 1162
Email: paula.rich@nzbb.org.nz
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Kris joined the team to support the AFB Recognition Courses. Her goal is to support the beekeeping community in eliminating AFB through a positive mindset and learning.
Kris grew up in the Philippines and has worked and travelled around the world before settling in New Zealand in 2018. Outside of work, she enjoys the outdoors with her young family, baking, and tending to her veggie garden.
Phone: 0800 232 767 ext 312
DDI: 03 926 5389
Email: kris.tamin@nzbb.org.nz
Apiary Coordinator
Tracey Gonzalez
Casual Apiary Coordinator
Leonie Elliot-Mason
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Tracey is an Apiary Coordinator who has been in this role for many years and enjoys helping beekeepers achieve their compliance goals. Tracey wants beekeepers to reach out if they need help. If she doesn’t know the answer, she will point you in the right direction. Tracey is a mother of 3 girls and enjoys going to the gym and spending time with her family.
Phone: 0800 232 767 ext 303
DDI: 03 974 2019
Email: tracey.gonzalez@nzbb.org.nz
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Leonie worked as an Apiary Coordinator full time for 4 years and now works in a casual capacity to help out at peak reporting times.
Prior to joining the AFB team, Leonie spent 30 years working in the airline industry specializing in scheduling and rostering the pilot on ATR fleet for their training. She has since returned to this specialist field, working from her home in Darfield for an Australian based company. She enjoys the flexibility to be able to help out the Apiary Coordinators at times where their workload truly escalates to exceed their capacity (such as during ADRs, COI's).
Southern Operations Manager
Marco Gonzalez
Chief Executive
Niharika (Niha) Long
Finance Administrator
Lauretta Cameron
Northern Operations Manager
Dwayne Hill
+ 47 Dedicated AP2s across the North Island and South Island.
+ 17 AFB Recognition Course Trainers across the North Island and South Island.
Researcher and Policy Analyst - Part Time Jan Mackay
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Jan works part-time as a researcher and policy analyst. Her main role is to prepare policy documents, consultation papers, and to analyse beekeeper submissions. She’s previously held roles in central government as a policy, evaluation and research professional.
She lives in Wellington with her husband and together they spend much of their spare time renovating their old house. Jan has three grown up children, who are often travelling, and she loves having them to stay whenever they’re back home. She enjoys walks by the sea, listening to music, and aspires to spend more time at the gym
Our
administration
Join
our team
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Inspector (AP2) Contracts Available
Do you have experience recognising American foulbrood (AFB) in the field?
Do you have a history of compliance with National American Foulbrood Pest Management Plan (NPMP) rules?
Have you held a DECA for at least 2 years?
Do you want to help fellow beekeepers to eliminate AFB?
If you answered ‘yes’ to all three questions and you’d like to be part of the professional team that monitors compliance with NPMP rules and assists NZ Bee Health & Biosecurity (NZBB) with enforcement actions in your region, this could be your opportunity to contribute to AFB elimination in New Zealand.
NZBB is seeking to contract additional Inspectors (AP2s) available to work a minimum of 12 full days per year.
We are recruiting nationwide however priority will be given to applications from:
Far North
Dargaville
Waihi
Tauranga
Katikati
Te Puke
Whakatane
Taranaki
Waikato
Manawatu
Christchurch City
Central Otago
Southland
Successful applicants will be able to demonstrate both their knowledge and experience of AFB inspection and elimination, and their ability to work with beekeepers to improve their AFB control practices.
Successful applicants will also be required to meet the Ministry for Primary Industries’ criteria for issuing Authorised Person warrants prior to appointment. This includes a criminal conviction check by the New Zealand Police.
A copy of the role description can be found here.
Application instructions can be found here.
Frequently asked questions can be found here.
Completed applications should be submitted to info@nzbb.org.nz
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Do you have experience recognising American foulbrood (AFB) in the field? Have you held a Disease Elimination Conformity Agreement (DECA) for at least two years? Do you have a history of compliance with National American Foulbrood Pest Management Plan rules?
If you answered ‘yes’ to all three questions, have experience presenting to groups of people and are technically competent using computers and associated technology (PowerPoint, data projectors, internet, Bluetooth speakers and smartphones), this could be your opportunity to contribute to AFB elimination in New Zealand.
NZ Bee Health & Biosecurity is seeking to contract additional AFB Recognition Course Trainers in the following regions:
Nelson
New Plymouth
Dunedin
Kaitaia
Whangarei
Successful applicants will be able to demonstrate both their knowledge and experience of AFB inspection and elimination, and their ability to transfer knowledge to groups of people.
CLICK HERE for application instructions.
Please email your application to training@nzbb.org.nz