Plans Underway for New Plant Laboratory

Plans are set in motion for a new plant laboratory in Auckland, New Zealand.

The Plant Health and Environment Laboratory (PHEL) and Post-entry Quarantine Facilities (PEQ) in Mt Albert will be designed by Jasmax for the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and Rau Paenga, a Crown infrastructure delivery company.

The 12,400 square-meter lab will include laboratories, greenhouses, and a designated area for Biosecurity Surveillance and Incursion Investigation Plant Health (BSIIPH).

The lab will be part of an effort to protect New Zealand's biodiversity and horticultural from pests and diseases primarily ones that threaten crops and food supplies.

The cost and delivery arrangements will be finalized in late 2024.