Environmental Protection Authority

Ecotoxicology and Toxicology Models Modernisation

In Aotearoa New Zealand, hazardous substances need to be approved under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 (HSNO Act) before they can be imported, manufactured, supplied or used.

The role of the EPA’s Hazardous Substances team is to receive and assess applications for the import or manufacture of new hazardous substances, and to set the rules to manage their risks where approval has been granted.

The Hazardous Substances Models Modernisation project is to deliver to the EPA modern, fit for purpose models and supporting data, to usefully strengthen our risk assessment processes. To be fully fit for purpose the EPA requires updates to a range of ecotoxicology, toxicology, and environmental fate models, data requirements, and environmental assessment factors.

The project outputs must be aligned with international best practices and account for the use and impact of hazardous substances specific to New Zealand conditions.

We are seeking a comprehensive update of our toxicology, ecotoxicology, and environmental fate models that underpin our risk assessment approach for hazardous substances. We are also seeking to obtain a range of data to support modelling that accounts for Aotearoa New Zealand-specific conditions.

We are looking for an implementation partner with the relevant knowledge, qualifications, experience, and access to the relevant networks to deliver the requirements of this project.