OIA 22 146 Lee Letter.pdf

WELLINGTON
The Customhouse, 1 Hinemoa Street, Wellington
PO Box 2218, Wellington 6140
Phone: 04 901 4500  Fax: 04 901 4555  All general enquiries phone: 0800 428 786
Email: [email address]  Website: www.customs.govt.nz

30 August 2022
           Ref: OIA 22-146

Mr Felix Lee
By email: [FYI request #20118 email]

Dear Mr Lee
Request for Information under the Official Information Act 1982
Thank  you  for  your  request  dated  3  August  2022  to  the  New  Zealand  Customs  Service
(Customs),  received  via  the  FYI  website,  for  the  following  information  under  the  Official
Information Act 1982 (the Act):
“I would like to make an OIA request regarding any plans regarding the future of NZ
Traveller Declaration.
1. Any planned new features/bug fixes to NZTD
2. Any plans regarding integrating the paper Arrival Card
3. If there are plans to integrate the Arrival Card, how do you deal with the case where
the traveller picks up new biosecurity risk items between the period of filling in NZTD
and arriving at the border.”
In response, please find Customs’ responses to each of your questions below.
Questions one and two
Any planned new features/bug fixes to NZTD
Any plans regarding integrating the paper Arrival Card
I can advise that the New Zealand Traveller  Declaration system  is being delivered in three
stages or ‘tranches’.
  Tranche one involved the establishment of a digital system to collect COVID-19 health
information and issue a ‘Traveller Pass’ for travellers to support the re-opening of the
air border.
  Tranche  two  will  extend  the  New  Zealand  Traveller  Declaration  health  declaration
requirements to the maritime border (as appropriate), and the integration of the New
Zealand Traveller Declaration with other systems to support traveller processing.
  Tranche three will involve scaling capacity to support pre-COVID-19 traveller volumes
and introduce digital customs, immigration and biosecurity declarations, alongside a
health  declaration  as  required.  Tranche  three  provides  for  the  service  design,
development and testing of a digital arrival card, with the aim of the digital declaration
replacing the current paper arrival card.

The New Zealand Traveller Declaration, developed in tranche one, has been available for air
travellers since 25 March 2022. Additional functionality is being added to the system on an
ongoing basis, including improvements to accessibility and making the experience more user-
friendly.  Customs  continues  to  work  alongside  other  border  agencies,  key  partners,  and
travellers to ensure feedback is heard and incorporated into future changes.
I can advise that updates are made to the New  Zealand Traveller  Declaration system on a
regular basis. For example, recent system improvements include:
  From  16  April  2022,  an  enhancement,  integrating  the  New  Zealand  Traveller
Declaration system with eGates was implemented at Wellington International Airport
and Christchurch International Airport. This allows travellers who do not require manual
checking of their submitted documents to exit via the eGates rather than their Traveller
Pass being scanned by a Customs officer.
  The Apple iOS operations system upgrade to 15.6 created an issue for some travellers
who  use  the  iOS  operating  system.  Following  identification  of  this  issue,  Customs
implemented changes to resolve this issue.
Question three
If there are plans to integrate the Arrival Card, how do you deal with the case where
the traveller picks up new biosecurity risk items between the period of filling in NZTD
and arriving at the border
The intention longer term is for the New Zealand Traveller Declaration to enable travellers to
digitally complete their full travel declaration (customs, biosecurity, immigration, and health) in
advance of departure, and update and confirm on arrival. As such, Customs acknowledges
that the timing of when a declaration is made by the traveller is a key consideration of their full
digital declaration. Customs is currently working through the details of the system’s design to
prompt travellers to update their declaration if their circumstances have changed.
If  you  wish  to  read  further  about  the  background  and  development  of  the  New  Zealand
Traveller Declaration system, you can refer to the recently proactively released Cabinet Paper
titled  ‘Establishing  a  legislative  framework  for  Customs’  use  of  the  New  Zealand  Travel er
Declaration’, which you may find of interest. This Cabinet Paper can be accessed on Customs’
website at the following link:
https://www.customs.govt.nz/globalassets/documents/cabinet-material/establishing-a-
legislative-framework-for-customs-use-of-the-new-zealand-traveller-declaration.pdf
If  you  have  any  queries  in  regard  to  this  response,  please  contact  the  Correspondence,
Reviews and Ministerial Servicing Team: [email address].
Please note that Customs proactively releases responses to Official Information Act requests
on our website. As such, we may publish this response on our website after we have sent it to
you. Your name and contact details will be removed.
Yours sincerely

Sharon May
Deputy Chief Executive - Technology & SRO New Zealand Traveller Declaration