17 March 2025
Who does this notice affect?
This notice affects importers of live plants (nursery stock), customs brokers and departmental staff.
What has changed?
As notified on 16 January 2025 (IIAN 13-2025), the department is implementing updates to Australia’s emergency measures for Xylella fastidiosa (Xylella).
These updates involve amending import conditions to move from regulating Xylella in host nursery stock at the family level, to the plant genus level. Consequently, biosecurity measures for Xylella will no longer apply to genera that are not recognised hosts of Xylella.
A list of host genera is published on the department's website.
Implementation timeline:
The department will introduce genus level regulations to affected import permits in a phased approach, as outlined below:
| Timeline | Scope of implementation |
|---|---|
| 31 January 2025 | Permits updated for affected genera from China |
| 16 April 2025 | Permits updated for affected genera from remaining high-risk Xylella countries or regions, which are:
|
| 23 May 2025 | Permits updated for affected genera from low-risk Xylella countries, which are countries excluding those listed above. |
Import permits:
The department will contact affected import permit holders to vary existing permits and provide further details of what changes are being applied to each import permit.
Until this occurs, current import permit conditions will apply.
Import permit holders will not be charged fees for these changes to import permits.
Background:
- Xylella is Australia’s highest National Priority Plant Pest. It is an invasive bacterial pathogen that causes a devastating disease in over 700 plant species. If it were to enter Australia, it would be practically impossible to eradicate as there is no treatment or cure.
- Australia's Xylella emergency measures previously regulated all plant species belonging to a plant family that contains at least one confirmed natural host species of Xylella.
- In 2022, the department released the draft Xylella pest risk analysis for stakeholder consultation, which recommended changing the taxonomic level of plant regulation from family level to genus level. That is, regulating all plants within a genus that has one or more confirmed natural host species of Xylella instead of regulating all plants within a family that has one or more confirmed natural host species of Xylella.
- The department has since completed an updated risk assessment which considers the latest scientific information, the recommendations in the draft pest risk analysis report and stakeholder submissions. As a result, we are making changes to existing emergency measures to transition conditions from family level regulation for host nursery stock pathways.
Further information
Please contact Plant Import Operations via email at imports@aff.gov.au (please title the subject line of the email ‘Plant T2 – Xylella’).