7 October 2025
Who does this notice affect?
This notice affects importers of plant products for human consumption (e.g. rice, beans, lentils, dried chilli, cumin and coriander seed), freight forwarders, biosecurity industry participants and accredited persons operating under the department’s approved arrangement class 19.
What is changing?
Australia currently has emergency measures in place to manage the risk of khapra beetle (Trogoderma granarium) entering the country in imported plant products. This may include pre-border treatment of high-risk plant products from khapra beetle target-risk countries, using Controlled Atmosphere.
Controlled atmosphere treatments for khapra beetle
The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (the department) is implementing a change to how Controlled Atmosphere (CA) treatments at atmospheric pressure for khapra beetle are managed.
From 30 October 2025, all CA treatments at atmospheric pressure must be conducted by a treatment provider registered and approved under the department’s AusTreat pre-border treatment provider scheme. Approved treatment providers will be publicly listed on the List of Treatment Providers.
This change will affect a small number of treatment providers currently approved to conduct CA treatments at atmospheric pressure outside the AusTreat scheme, as well as new providers seeking to undertake this treatment for Australian imports.
Other treatments for khapra beetle
This change does not apply to khapra beetle treatments using:
- controlled atmosphere at altered pressure
- methyl bromide fumigation, or
- heat treatment.
For these treatment types, use of a treatment provider registered under a pre-border treatment provider scheme is not currently mandatory. These treatment providers should continue to follow existing import requirements.
However, we strongly encourage eligible treatment providers to register under AusTreat, as the AusTreat framework will be progressively expanded to include these treatments in future.
Stay up-to-date on changes related to pre-border treatment provider schemes by subscribing to Import Industry Advice Notices and BICON alerts.
Commencement date
This change will take effect from 30 October 2025. From this date, eligible treatment providers must be approved under AusTreat.
BICON and import permits will be updated on this date to reflect this new requirement. The additional declaration required on the phytosanitary certificate will be updated as follows:
“The goods were treated with controlled atmosphere in accordance with Australia’s Controlled Atmosphere Treatment Methodology, by an approved provider of that treatment in Australia’s List of Treatment Providers, as per the attached treatment certificate [insert treatment certificate number].”
Affected permit holders will be contacted regarding permit variations.
Treatment provider registration
Treatment providers can register for AusTreat now, ahead of this requirement taking effect on 30 October 2025.
Treatment providers seeking to be approved by 30 October 2025, must submit their applications by 15 October 2025 to allow sufficient processing time by the department.
Treatment providers are required to submit the ‘Austreat registration application form’ and ‘Controlled atmosphere (atmospheric pressure) treatment form’. These forms are available on the AusTreat webpage.
Importers are encouraged to engage with eligible offshore treatment providers if they wish to import goods that will be undergoing this treatment.
Further information
For all questions directly related to the Controlled Atmosphere methodology or AusTreat, please contact Offshoretreatments@aff.gov.au.
For all questions relating to importation, contact Plant Import Operations via email at imports@aff.gov.au (please title the subject line of the email 'Plant T2 - Khapra urgent actions') or by phone on 1800 900 090.