GENE TECHNOLOGY REGULATION TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP
TERMS OF REFERENCE
BACKGROUND
The Government has tasked officials to advise on reforms to biotechnology regulation, with a focus
on establishing new gene technology legislation and a regulator by December 2025.
This work (the Programme) is led by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE),
with support from the Ministry for the Environment, the Ministry of Primary Industries, and the
Ministry of Health.
The Gene Technology Regulation Technical Advisory Group (TAG) has been established to support the
work of the Programme and MBIE expects to require its advice until late 2025.
PURPOSE
The role of the TAG is to:
• provide technical advice to MBIE on up-to-date gene technology regulation, including
regulatory procedures and science and technical matters related to biotechnology, genetic
techniques and gene therapies.
• ensure that officials’ interpretation of relevant science is accurate, that both opportunities
and risks are clearly understood and that technical considerations are effectively
incorporated into policy development.
• answer specific questions at the request of MBIE that would benefit from its expertise.
MEMBERSHIP
It is the intent that the TAG will provide for a well-balanced group in terms of gender, ethnicity,
geographic and sector representation.
Members should collectively have the appropriate mix of skills and experience necessary to:
• Preferably have deep technical expertise and be actively researching in the field.
• Have representatives from the institutes and organisations actively involved in the field (e.g.
CRIs, Universities, Biotech companies).
The TAG will be Chaired by Professor Emily Parker, Professor Chemical Biology Ferrier Institute,
Department Science Advisor MBIE.
MBIE officials may change the composition of the TAG as the reform programme progresses if
different technical expertise is required.
The initial composition of the TAG will be:
Name
Organisation
Professor Emily Parker - Chair Professor Chemical Biology Ferrier Institute, Department
Science Advisor MBIE
Dr William Rolleston
Co-founder of biotechnology company South Pacific Sera
Limited; Biotechnology
Associate Professor Tim Hore
Associate Professor in Department of Anatomy, University of
Otago
Dr Richard Scott
Science Team Leader – Plant Biotechnology, AgResearch
Professor David Ackerley
Professor of Biotechnology
School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of
Wellington
Dr Hilary (Billy) Sheppard
Senior Lecturer
Biological Sciences, University of Auckland
Dr Alec Foster
Manager Bioproducts and Packaging portfolio, Scion
Professor Jasna Rakonjac
Professor Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences, Massey
University
Associate Professor Maui
Director Te Kotahi Research Institute
Hudson
Office of Deputy Vice-Chancellor Māori, University f Waikato
Whakatōhea, Ngāruahine, and
Te Māhurehure
Dr Andy Allan
Principal Scientist at Plant & Food Research, joint
appointment as Professor, University of Auckland.
Dr Nikki Freed
Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer, Daisy Lab and lead
technologist, Auckland Genomics, the University of Auckland
core genomics facility
Dr Rachel Perret
Team leader in Weinkove Laboratory, Malaghan
Ariana Estoras
Director Māori Research and Partnerships AgResearch
Ngāti Uekaha and Ngāti
Maniapoto,
Professor Neil Gemmell
Professor and Acting Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor Department
of Anatomy, University of Otago
Members are appointed until 31 December 2025. Members may resign from the TAG at any time by
notifying the Chair and secretariat in writing.
If the Chair is absent from a meeting, the Chair may designate an Acting Chair for that meeting.
Because members and observers are appointed in their personal capacity rather than as
representatives of organisations, no proxies will be permitted to attend in place of members, except
at the discretion of the Chair.
Additional attendees may attend parts of the meeting if required to support specific agenda items.
Gene Technology Regulation Programme officials may also co-opt expertise for particular meetings
at the discretion of the Chair.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Members of the TAG serve in their individual capacity as experts. They are responsible for presenting
their views as objectively as possible and contributing their perspectives to advice provided to the
Gene Technology Regulation programme.
Members are expected to consider the views of other members to provide the best possible advice to
the Programme but are not expected to reach consensus.
ACCOUNTABILITIES
The TAG’s accountabilities are to provide advice to MBIE on gene technology regulatory reform.
Officials from MBIE will be present at the TAG meetings.
DECISION-MAKING
The TAG does not take decisions, it provides advice to senior officials from MBIE for consideration.
The TAG is not expected to reach consensus, and the Chair may present its advice as a range of views.
OPERATION
Frequency of meetings
The TAG will meet monthly, or as otherwise agreed with the Programme Secretariat.
TAG members can expect a workload of three hours per month, that includes a two-hour meeting
each month and one hour preparation time. All meetings will be online.
The TAG may also be asked by the MBIE to meet on an ad hoc basis outside of the agreed meeting
rhythm.
Role of the Chair
The Chair of the Technical Advisory Group is responsible for summarizing advice for MBIE Programme
officials, including in accurately reflecting the range of views expressed and fairly representing any
disagreements on technical issues.
The Chair of the Technical Advisory Group is responsible for summarizing advice for MBIE
Programme officials, including in accurately reflecting the range of views expressed and fairly
representing any disagreements on technical issues.
Quorum
Quorum will be a majority of TAG members (half the committee members plus one).
Because members serve in their individual capacity there are no substitutes.
Conflicts of Interest
Members should be aware of all actual, perceived and potential conflicts of interest and notify the
Chair prior to any meeting. The Secretariat will maintain a register of notified conflicts.
Reporting
The TAG will report to MBIE through its Chair.
Meeting minutes
The Secretariat is responsible for formally recording the actions and decisions and distributing these
to TAG members and attendees within five working days after the meeting.
The Chair will review minutes prior to circulation for endorsement by the TAG at the following
meeting.
Remuneration
No remuneration is payable to members who are employees of government agencies listed in
Schedule 2 of the Public Service Act 2020. Their employer is responsible for meeting all costs
associated with their membership on the Technical Advisory Group.
All other members are entitled to compensation of $54.38/hr in accordance with Group 4 of the
Cabinet fees framework.
Should there be the need for an in-person meeting, MBIE will be responsible for booking and paying
for travel and accommodation such costs if required.
Secretariat
MBIE will provide the Secretariat. It is the Secretariat’s responsibility to:
• Ensure meeting packs are created and promulgated to the committee within an appropriate
timeframe agreed by the TAG.
• Liaise with the Chair and key stakeholders regarding materials being submitted to the TAG.
• Ensure meeting rooms, teleconference, or video conference units are booked.
• Provide draft minutes to the Chair as soon as possible after a TAG meeting and ensure that
actions are being followed up in accordance with the agreed due dates.
Conflicts of interest and confidentiality
• To positively contribute to the discussions and work of the TAG, it is expected that members
will have detailed expertise and experience in Biotechnology. That in itself will not be
considered a conflict of interest.
• It is expected and acknowledged that TAG members will have outside interests and obligations.
On an on-going basis, each TAG member must disclose any conflict or potential conflict of
interest (between those outside interests and obligations and their role on the TAG) to the
Chair and the secretariat to manage relevant conflicts. A register of interests will be maintained
by the secretariat. These conflicts can be recorded in the table in Annex 1.
• Where there is a direct conflict, TAG members may be asked to by the Chair to excuse
themselves from related discussion.
• Members of the TAG may be presented with a range of confidential information, including on
aspects of government agencies’ business as well as commercially sensitive information. The
level of confidentiality on documents will be clearly identified and all members will be expected
to protect confidential information.
• Except for such use or as required by law, TAG members will not disclose such confidential
information to anyone without prior written consent of the Chair, MBIE and any affected party.
TAG members will take reasonable measures to avoid disclosure, dissemination or unauthorised
use of any confidential information. Any requests under the Official Information Act should be
directed to MBIE secretariat.
• Any discussion at the meetings that is confidential will be clearly identified and noted in the
minutes.
