Olympics: MAF backs down on athletes' olive wreaths

4.00pm

New Zealand's Olympic medallists can bring their olive wreaths home after a change of heart by the Ministry of Agriculture (MAF).

However, it may be some time before they get to wear them again.

MAF relented after it earlier refused to allow the wreaths back into the country. It had feared they could pose a biosecurity threat.

New Zealand won three gold medals - Georgina and Caroline Evers-Swindell in the double scull rowing, Sarah Ulmer in the cycling individual pursuit and Hamish Carter in the triathlon.

Silver medals were won by Bevan Docherty in the triathlon and Ben Fouhy in the K1 1000m canoeing.

MAF's plant imports manager Veronica Herrera now says the wreaths can either be heat-treated or irradiated.

She understands Australia plans to irradiate the wreaths won by its athletes.

The Olympic team arrives in Auckland early on Wednesday morning and the wreaths would then have to be sent across the Tasman, Newstalk ZB reported.

The wreaths are made of olive branches, chrysanthemums and roses.

Ms Herrera previously said the reason they could not be imported was that material could be propagated.

"A lot of the material is still viable, so if you plant it and the conditions are right, they could develop roots and grow," she said on Thursday before the change of heart.

"They could carry pests and diseases, and that could be passed on to other plants."

She said spraying would treat some of the problems, such as insects, but would not deal with others, like viruses and other other micro-organisms.

- NEWSTALK ZB, NZPA