Fumigation adds thousands to campervan costs

A campervan owner who wants to import a vehicle from the United Kingdom says the cost of treating it against the brown marmorated stink bug was ‘‘unjustifiable’’ at $4000.

Ka¯ piti resident Steve Woolley said the amount quoted was a ‘‘rip-off’’ and the shipping company was unable to assure him there wouldn’t be more costs.

‘‘There is a specified time between treatment and loading onto a ship . . . otherwise the process will have to be carried out all over again,’’ Woolley said.

Vehicle importers and removals firms confirmed there were major costs for the industry but for a good reason – to protect New Zealand horticulture.

Vehicle Importers Association chief executive David Vinsen said dealing with the new anti-stink bug regime had taken most of his time last year.

‘‘I understand one shipping company lost millions of dollars when it was turned away.’’

Local providers in the UK and Japan, accredited by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), had to be used, Vinsen said.

‘‘Probes have to be inserted into remote parts of the vehicles, and often they had to be heattreated in addition to fumigation. It’s not a simple exercise, and campervans are more difficult.’’

The cost for most cars was a few hundred dollars usually.

‘‘We’ve been working with horticultural groups and they’re petrified at the potential consequences, so we just have to do it,’’ Vinsen said.

Peter Gale, who owns Associated Coach Services, which imports vehicles, said new biosecurity requirements had created many shipping delays and huge costs.

‘‘But it’s estimated the kiwifruit harvest could be decimated by a third or more if the stink bug got in,’’ Gale said.

Gale said campervans had to be heat-treated because fumigation wasn’t guaranteed to get into all the nooks and crannies.

‘‘They’ve got doors, cubicles, mattresses, carpets. Cars are a little easier,’’ Gale said.

MPI released new import health standards for vehicles, machinery and equipment in September last year.

Brown marmorated stink bugs spread fast, and feed heavily on a variety of plants including apples, citrus and stone fruit, and corn.