Skip to main content Skip to main navigation Skip to search
Home

Top navigation main

  • News & media
  • Jobs
  • Ministers
  • Contact us
Main menu

AWE Main

  • Agriculture and land
    Agriculture and land Building stronger and more sustainable agriculture, fisheries, forestry and land care.
    • Animal health
    • Climate change and agriculture
    • Drought, disaster and rural support
    • Farming, food and drought
    • Fisheries
    • Forestry
    • Levies and charges on agricultural products
    • Mouse infestation advice
    • Plant health
    Xylella

    Protect against unwanted plant pests

    Our biosecurity system helps protects us. Everyone has a role in supporting our biosecurity system.

    Find out more

  • Biosecurity and trade
    Biosecurity and trade
    • Aircraft, vessels and military
    • Biosecurity policy
    • Cats and dogs
    • Exporting
    • Importing
    • Pests, diseases and weeds
    • Public awareness and education
    • Trade and market access
    • Travelling or sending goods to Australia
    • Report a concern
    Brown marmorated stink bug

    BMSB Seasonal Measures

    Australia has strengthened seasonal measures to manage the risk of BMSB.

    View our seasonal measures

  • Science and research
    Science and research Undertaking research and collecting data to support informed decisions and policies.
    • Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES)
    • Plant Innovation Centre
    Abares

    ABARES Insights

    Get 'snapshots’ of agricultural, forestry and fisheries industries, or analysis of key issues.

    Find out more

  • About us
    About us We enhance our agricultural industries and trade, and manage the threat of biosecurity risks to Australia.
    • Accountability and reporting
    • Assistance, grants and tenders
    • Contact us
    • Fees and charges
    • News and media
    • Our commitment to you
    • Payments
    • People and jobs
    • Publications
    • What we do
    • Who we are
    Budget 2025-26

    Budget 2025-26

    The 2025–26 Portfolio Budget Statements were released on 25 March 2025.

    Find out more

  • Online services
    Online services We do business with you using online platforms. This makes it easier for you to meet your legal requirements.
Department of Agriculture

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Biosecurity and trade
  3. Import
  4. Importing goods
  5. External Territories
  6. Norfolk Island produce

Sidebar first - Import

  • External Territories
    • Indian Ocean Territories (IOT)
      • Import conditions for solanaceous produce
    • Norfolk Island plant biosecurity import conditions
    • Application for permit: External territories
    • Import conditions for public consultation

Norfolk Island plant biosecurity import conditions

Protecting Norfolk Island

Import conditions for fresh produce are in place to protect Norfolk Island’s unique biosecurity status.

Before you import goods to Norfolk Island, we need to make sure you can do this without risking that status.

The first thing we do is identify any potential biosecurity risks. After we do that, we establish the import conditions for your goods. This is so we can manage any risks to an acceptable level.

We do the biosecurity risk assessments guided by our:

  • international agreements
  • the ‘Appropriate Level of Protection’ (ALOP) set in the Biosecurity Act 2015
  • scientific literature and technical expertise
  • 2012–14 Norfolk Island pest and disease survey
  • the Biosecurity (Conditionally Non-prohibited Goods – Norfolk Island) Determination 2016.

The department’s role in managing imports to Norfolk Island is an extension of our powers under the Biosecurity Act 2015.

Strict biosecurity conditions apply to all imports into Norfolk Island.

To import goods to Norfolk Island, you first must check our Biosecurity Import Conditions (BICON) database.

This is so you can determine the relevant import conditions for your goods. This may include you requiring a permit for the goods you are intending to import.

Importing fresh horticultural produce, cut flowers and foliage.

You will need import permits to import most fresh horticultural produce into the Norfolk Island.

This is a requirement of the Biosecurity Act.

Some fresh produce grown and exported from the Australian mainland have special conditions. This means they do not require a permit. These include:

  • Garlic and ginger
  • Onions and potatoes
  • Cut flowers and foliage

You can access our BICON database for more information. This includes information about import conditions and permit requirements for other fresh horticultural produce.

There are more details about how to access BICON at the bottom of this page.

Other plant commodities

Maize seed and seed potatoes are also permitted into Norfolk Island. You will not find these import conditions in BICON. You can find the conditions under the drop down sections below.

An import permit is required if these conditions cannot be met.

Conditions for the importation of maize seeds for sowing from Australia to Norfolk Island under the Biosecurity Act 2015.

  • The maize seed must be Australian grown and packed.
  • The consignment must be free from visual symptoms of disease, live insects, contaminant weed or other crop seeds, soil, and other contaminants.
  • Consignments must be commercially packed in clean new packages. The packages must be clearly marked with the botanical name of the seed.
  • Each consignment must be accompanied by certification issued by a state/territory plant health certification authority, or through the Interstate Certification Assurance scheme. Certification must state:
    • ‘The maize seed has been inspected and found free from visual symptoms of disease, insect infestation, and other contamination.’
    • ‘The maize seed:
      1. was grown in an area in which boil smut (Ustilago maydis) is not known to occur.’, or
      2. has been sourced from crops that have been inspected prior to harvest and found free of boil smut (Ustilago maydis).’, or
      3. has been treated with Vitavax® 200FF flowable fungicide.’
    • ‘The maize seed:
      1. was grown in an area in which Sugarcane mosaic virus, Barley yellow dwarf virus, Cereal chlorotic mottle virus, Johnsongrass mosaic virus, Maize stripe virus, and Wheat streak mosaic virus are not known to occur.’, or
      2. the maize seed has been sourced from crops that have been inspected prior to harvest and found free of these viruses.’
  • Upon arrival on Norfolk Island, consignments are to be inspected by a Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry officer prior to release, therefore packaging must be suitable for opening to allow inspection. The presence of quarantine pests and/or other biosecurity risk material will necessitate remedial actions. Remedial action options include: treatment, where this is available, re-export or destruction.

Exemptions:

Commercially packed retail packets of maize seed up to 50grams are exempt from the certification and treatment requirements, and may be imported into Norfolk Island, provided they are of Australian origin, labelled with genus and species name and are not a genetically modified organism.

Popping corn is exempt from the certification and treatment requirements, and may be imported into Norfolk Island provided the popping corn is commercially packaged in retail packets.

Conditions for the importation of certified seed potatoes from Australia to Norfolk Island under the Biosecurity Act 2015.

  • A valid import permit is required. Note: the import permit must be obtained from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry prior to the seed potatoes arriving in Norfolk Island.
  • Consignments must be packed in clean new bags/boxes/containers. Each consignment must be secured (i.e. made insect proof) prior to shipment to maintain its quarantine integrity on arrival using a secure packaging option. The packages must be clearly labelled with the kind of produce, the name of the grower or packer and information that enables verification against accompanying documentation.
  • The potatoes must be brushed.
  • Each consignment must be accompanied by a Seed Potato Certification Statement. Certification must state:
    • ‘The potatoes were grown in Australia and have passed certification under the National Standards for Seed Potato Certification, and are officially labelled as such.’
    • ‘The potatoes were sourced from areas or crops that have been demonstrated to be free from Bacterial wilt (Ralstonia solanacearum), Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) and potato cyst nematode (Globodera rostochiensis).’
    • ‘The potatoes have been inspected and found to be free from any visually detectable pests including stem and bulb nematode (Ditylenchus dipsaci) and diseases including Pink Rot (Phytophthora erythroseptica), Rhizoctonia Canker (Rhizoctonia solani) and Potato viruses (Tomato spotted wilt virus, Potato virus S, Y and X).’
  • Upon arrival on Norfolk Island, consignments are to be inspected by a Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry biosecurity officer to verify seed dockets align with consignment manifest prior to release, or remedial treatment applied if required. Packaging must be suitable for opening to allow inspection.

Permit application

To apply for an import permit, you need to access BICON using one of the following options:

  1. Go directly to the Importing goods into the Australian External Territories import questions page in BICON; or
  2. Use the ‘Advanced Search’ option.

Note: when using the ‘Advanced Search’ option use words like, ‘fruit’ or ‘vegetable’ in the Quick search field and then select the Norfolk Island box from the ‘Import into’ list, click Search.

If you are not already registered in BICON you will need to register.

If you are experiencing difficulty with registration and application, please refer to BICON help and the BICON help card.

Contact

For enquiries related to import conditions please email imports@aff.gov.au

For other enquiries related to the External Territories please email externalterritories@aff.gov.au

General enquiries

Call 1800 900 090

Contact us online

Report a biosecurity concern

Thanks for your feedback.
Thanks! Your feedback has been submitted.

We aren't able to respond to your individual comments or questions.
To contact us directly phone us or submit an online inquiry

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Please verify that you are not a robot.

Skip
Page last updated: 21 March 2024

We acknowledge the continuous connection of First Nations Traditional Owners and Custodians to the lands, seas and waters of Australia. We recognise their care for and cultivation of Country. We pay respect to Elders past and present, and recognise their knowledge and contribution to the productivity, innovation and sustainability of Australia’s agriculture, fisheries and forestry industries.

Artwork: Protecting our Country, Growing our Future
© Amy Allerton, contemporary Aboriginal Artist of the Gumbaynggirr, Bundjalung and Gamilaroi nations.

Footer

  • Contact us
  • Accessibility
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy
  • FOI

© Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

Facebook X LinkedIn Instagram