29 July 2015
This Biosecurity Advice (BA) invites stakeholders to provide comments on the ‘Draft review of policy: importation of Zantedeschia dormant tubers into Australia’ by 28 August 2015.
Background
The Australian Government Department of Agriculture initiated this review of existing policy in response to requests from the Ministry for Primary Industries, New Zealand and the Australian nursery industry to review the existing import conditions for dormant Calla lily (Zantedeschia species) tubers. Zantedeschia species, commonly known as Calla lilies, are used as cut flowers and garden ornamentals.
The Ministry for Primary Industries, New Zealand and the Australian nursery industry requested the consideration of alternative treatments to methyl bromide fumigation for Zantedeschia dormant tubers. In addition, the Australian nursery industry requested a review of the conditions for post-entry quarantine (PEQ). Consequently, several changes have been proposed to strengthen biosecurity measures for Zantedeschia dormant tubers, while improving access to new varieties for the Australian nursery industry.
Proposed measures
The Department of Agriculture has reviewed the existing policy and proposed several changes, including:
- updating the quarantine pest list for Zantedeschia dormant tubers.
- permitting alternative treatments to mandatory methyl bromide fumigation for Zantedeschia dormant tubers from all sources, such as a hot water treatment or insecticidal dip.
- permitting entry of tubers produced under a systems approach or certification scheme subject to verification. Systems approaches and certification schemes are based on a combination of production practices, crop monitoring and verification of pathogen freedom. It is proposed that Zantedeschia tubers meeting the systems approach requirements will be permitted entry into Australia without requiring growth in PEQ.
- reducing time in PEQ or quarantine approved premises (QAP) for dormant tubers from non-approved sources, from 12 weeks to six weeks.
The ultimate goal of these phytosanitary measures is to protect Australia from exotic pests and diseases through maintaining plant health and preventing the introduction of identified quarantine pests associated with Zantedeschia dormant tubers. The department considers that the risk management measures proposed in this draft review of policy will be adequate to mitigate the risks posed by the identified quarantine pests.
The Draft review of policy: importation of Zantedeschia dormant tubers into Australia is available at Current Plant Policy and Scientific Reviews.
The Department of Agriculture invites comments on the technical aspects of the proposed risk management measures for Zantedeschia dormant tubers. In particular, comments are sought on their appropriateness and any other measures stakeholders consider would provide equivalent risk management outcomes. Comments on the draft report should be submitted by 28 August 2015.
Please pass this notice to other interested parties. If those parties wish to be included in future communications on this matter they should contact Plant Biosecurity. The Department of Agriculture will consider all submissions received on the draft review in finalising the review of policy.
Louise van Meurs
A/g First Assistant Secretary
Contact: David Heinrich
Telephone: +61 2 6272 3220
Facsimile: +61 2 6272 3307
Email: Plant
Lodging a submission: There is no specific format for a submission, but they must be in writing, and identify the relevant technical biosecurity issues being raised with supporting evidence. Preferably, submissions should be in Microsoft Word or other text-based formats and lodged electronically via email, but postal submissions are acceptable. Submissions should be received by the department within the stated comment period and addressed to:
Plant Biosecurity
Australian Government Department of Agriculture
GPO Box 858
Canberra ACT 2601
AUSTRALIA
Telephone: +61 2 6272 5094
Facsimile: +61 2 6272 3307
Email: Plant
Privacy: Personal information collected by the department will only be used to enable the department to contact you about your submission and may be disclosed to specialists, another Commonwealth government agency, a State or Territory government agency or foreign government department, provided the disclosure is consistent with relevant laws, in particular the Privacy Act 1988.
The department requests that, as a minimum, you provide your name and contact details with your submission. Please indicate if you do not wish to have personal information published with your submission or disclosed to third parties. Collected personal information will be used and stored consistent with the Australian Privacy Principles as outlined in the department’s Privacy Policy available on the department’s website.
Confidentiality: Subject to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 and the Privacy Act 1988, content of submissions may be made public, unless you state you want all or part of your submission to be treated as confidential. A claim for confidentiality must be justified and provided as an attachment, marked ‘Confidential’. ‘Confidential’ material will not be made public. The department reserves the right not to publish submissions.
No breach of confidence will occur if the department shares your submission with a third party referred to under ‘Privacy’ in seeking advice in response to your submission.
Intellectual property: Responsibility for compliance with Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in submissions rests with the author(s). In lodging a submission, you warrant you have not knowingly infringed any third party IPR. By lodging a submission, you grant the Commonwealth a permanent, irrevocable, royalty-free, world-wide, non-exclusive licence to use, copy, reproduce, adapt, communicate and exploit all or any of the material contained in the submission.