6 June 2017
This Biosecurity Advice notifies stakeholders of the release of the draft report for the review of biosecurity import requirements for Tahitian limes from the Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu.
The draft report proposes that the importation of fresh Tahitian limes (Citrus latifolia) to Australia from all commercial production areas of these five countries be permitted, subject to a range of biosecurity conditions.
This draft report is being issued for a 60 calendar day stakeholder consultation period. Written comments and submissions are invited by 7 August 2017
Biosecurity Advice 2016/12, of 15 April 2016, announced the formal commencement of a review of biosecurity import requirements for Tahitian limes from the Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu.
This Biosecurity Advice notifies stakeholders of the release of the draft report. Written comments are invited from stakeholders on the draft report. The closing date for comments is 7 August 2017.
The draft report contains details of pests with the potential to be associated with the importation of fresh Tahitian limes that are of quarantine concern to Australia. The report includes risk assessments for identified quarantine pests and the proposed risk management measures in order to reduce the biosecurity risk to an acceptable level.
Three arthropod pests have been identified as requiring risk management measures. They are grey pineapple mealybug (Dysmicoccus neobrevipes), Pacific mealybug (Planococcus minor) and cryptic mealybug (Pseudococcus cryptus).
Pacific mealybug and cryptic mealybug were assessed as being regional quarantine pests for Western Australia and grey mealybug was assessed as being a quarantine pest for all of Australia.
The draft report proposes risk management measures, combined with operational systems to reduce the risks posed by the three quarantine pests, to achieve the appropriate level of protection for Australia. The measures include a pre-export phytosanitary inspection to be undertaken by the exporting country to ensure that each consignment is free of identified quarantine pests, and a verification inspection on arrival. If consignments are found to be infested, they are subject to appropriate remedial action.
The draft report and information about the risk analysis process are available from the department's website. Printed copies of the report are available upon request.
Written comments and submissions are invited by 7 August 2017.
Lodging a submission: There is no specific format for submissions, 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 or the online submission form, but postal submissions are acceptable. Submissions should be received by the department within the stated comment period. Submissions may be lodged via the following methods:
- the department’s website using the online form
- email to Plant
- mail to:
Plant Biosecurity
Department of Agriculture and Water Resources
GPO Box 858
Canberra ACT 2601
AUSTRALIA
Telephone: +61 2 6272 5094
Email: Plant
Privacy: The department requests that, at 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.
Any personal information collected by the department as part of your submission will be used and disclosed by the department for the purposes stated in the Biosecurity Advice. Your personal information will be used to enable the department to contact you about your submission and may be disclosed to specialists, other Commonwealth government agencies, State or Territory government agencies or foreign government departments. Unless you request otherwise, the department may publish your personal information on the department’s website.
The department will handle your personal information in a manner consistent with relevant laws, in particular the Privacy Act 1988. Your personal information will be used and stored consistent with the Australian Privacy Principles and 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.
Dr Marion Healy
First Assistant Secretary
Biosecurity Plant Division
Contact: Peter Creaser
Telephone: +61 2 6272 3355
Email: Plant