Biosecurity Advice 2021-P08 - Release of the Final Pest Risk Analysis for Cut flower and foliage imports - Part 2

8 June 2021

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We announced the commencement of Part 2 of the pest risk analysis on 18 April 2019 (via Biosecurity Advice 2019/P05) and released the draft report for public consultation on 22 May 2020 (Biosecurity Advice 2020/P04). Comments from stakeholders on the draft report were taken into consideration in preparing the final report.

We initiated the pest risk analysis to assess the pests of biosecurity concern for Australia associated with imported cut flowers and foliage, and to determine whether the introduction of revised import conditions (on 1 March 2018) manages the biosecurity risks to achieve the appropriate level of protection for Australia.

The pest risk analysis was conducted in two parts, Part 1 assessed the three major arthropod pest groups – thrips, mites and aphids; and Part 2 assessed all other arthropod pests associated with fresh cut flowers and foliage.

The key findings from Part 2 of the pest risk analysis are:

• There are 583 species of insects known to be associated with the imported commercial cut flower and foliage pathway, including beetles (Coleoptera), flies (Diptera), bugs (Hemiptera), wasps, bees and ants (Hymenoptera), and moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera).
   
  • 74 species of beetles, 38 species of flies, 140 species of bugs (other than aphids) and 110 species of moths and butterflies are identified as quarantine pests. These species require risk management measures to manage the biosecurity risks.
     
  • 13 species of wasps, bees and ants are also plant quarantine pests for Australia and they are already regulated at the Australian border.
     
  • An additional 6 species of beetles and 10 species of bugs (other than aphids) are of biosecurity concern for Australia because they have the potential to transmit pathogens that are quarantine pests. These species require risk management measures to manage the biosecurity risks.
     
  • An additional 8 species of beetles, 17 species of flies, 3 species of bugs (other than aphids), and 19 species of wasps, bees and ants have been identified as being a ‘contaminating pest’, which means they have the potential to be a predator or parasitoid, transmit human and/or animal pathogens, or be a nuisance pest. These species will be regulated at the Australian border if they are found on imported cut flowers and foliage.

• Part 2 of the pest risk analysis recommends the same phytosanitary measures as those recommended in Part 1 of the pest risk analysis.
   
• In circumstances where biosecurity risks change, Part 2 of the pest risk analysis recommends regulatory mechanisms be applied, such as:
  • import permits to import cut flowers, or
  • amendment and/or suspension of a phytosanitary measure, or
  • the suspension of import of a flower or foliage type and/or a country pathway.

The final report, stakeholder comments and our responses are available on our website. Printed copies of the report are available on request.

Stakeholders who are interested in receiving information and updates on biosecurity risk analyses are encouraged to subscribe via our online subscription service. By subscribing to Biosecurity Risk Analysis Plant, you will receive Biosecurity Advices and other notifications relating to plant biosecurity policy, including this risk analysis.

Dr Chris Parker
First Assistant Secretary
Biosecurity Plant Division

Telephone: 1800 900 090 (option 1, option 1)
Email: imports@aff.gov.au