15 June 2010
Commencement of a risk analysis for the release of Plectonycha correntina for the biological control of Madeira vine
This Biosecurity Australia Advice (BAA) announces the release of a draft risk analysis to consider a proposal to release the leaf feeding beetle, Plectonycha correntina for the biological control of Madeira vine, Anredera cordifolia.
Biosecurity Australia has prepared a draft report, which is being circulated to stakeholders for a 60 day comment period.
Biosecurity Australia has released a draft risk analysis assessing an application from Biosecurity Queensland (Department of Employment, Economic Development & Innovation) to release the leaf feeding beetle, Plectonycha correntina for the biological control of Madeira vine, Anredera cordifolia. In support of this application, Biosecurity Queensland has provided a submission detailing results of host specificity testing, along with other relevant information. This submission is included as an appendix to the draft risk analysis.
Madeira vine was approved as a target for biological control by the Natural Resource Management Standing Committee (NRMSC) in 2006. A tentative host test list was first circulated to representatives of all state and territory governments, the Department of Environment, Water, Heritage & the Arts (DEWHA) and to the CSIRO. Several suggestions from these reviewers were incorporated in the final host test list. Biosecurity Queensland submitted an application for the release of the leaf feeding beetle, Plectonycha correntina in December 2009.
The Department of the Environment has a parallel approval process under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act. There has been consultation with DEWHA prior to the release of the draft report and a link on the DEWHA website will be provided to the report on the Biosecurity Australia website.
The draft report proposes that the biological control agent should be released, subject to standard quarantine conditions associated with the import and release of biological control agents. The draft report has identified no significant off-target effects or potential consequences that would be associated with the release of Plectonycha correntina. The risk is estimated to be negligible, which meets Australia’s appropriate level of protection (ALOP).
In accordance with the IRA handbook 2007 (updated 2009) , this risk analysis has been undertaken as a non-regulated analysis of existing policy. Stakeholders will have up to 60 days to submit written comments on the draft report and will have opportunities to discuss matters raised in any submissions directly with Biosecurity Australia. Comments must be submitted by 16 August 2010 to:
Plant Biosecurity
Biosecurity Australia
GPO Box 858
CANBERRA ACT 2601
Telephone: +61 2 6272 3933
Facsimile: +61 2 6272 3307
E-mail:
Plant Biosecurity
Dr Colin J Grant
Chief Executive
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