Registering as a small horticultural products registered establishment

Under the Export Control (Plants and Plant Products) Order 2011 (Plant Order) and the relevant charging guidelines, some horticulture exporters may be eligible for a reduced registered establishment charge of $600 per financial year (or part financial year) if they are eligible to be registered as a ‘small horticultural products registered establishment’ (SHPRE).

Not all horticultural products or registered establishments will be eligible. To be considered a SHPRE for this purpose, exporters need to meet specific requirements including an export tonnage limit.

In 2017, the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources amended the Plant Order to broaden the eligibility criteria to register establishments as SHPREs. The purpose of this amendment is to enable a wider group of small horticulture grower-exporters to enter the export market through the competitive rate of the reduced annual charge for SHPREs. Such grower-exporters could include those who are not currently registered and are new to export as well as those who grow and wish to export multiple kinds of horticultural products. The department has also broadened the kinds of horticultural products identified in Table 1 to add melons, avocados, kiwi fruit, cut flower and all other kinds of horticultural products, such as plant nursery stock.

Eligibility criteria

New and existing exporters are able to apply for registration as a SHPRE.

New exporters should familiarise themselves with their responsibilities as an exporter prior to applying. You will need to meet all requirements for registering an establishment.

To be eligible for registration as a small horticulture products registered establishment you must:

only use your establishment to produce and prepare for export eligible horticultural products identified in Table 1
not occupy any other registered establishment within the financial year
ensure the total amount you produce and prepare for export at your registered establishment does not exceed the amount allowed identified in Table 1 within the financial year.

Eligible horticultural product

Table 1 sets out the total amount of eligible horticultural products that can be produced, prepared and exported per financial year as a SHPRE.

The department will audit exports and registered establishment activities to ensure SHPREs remain within the requirements.

Table 1: Total amount of eligible horticultural products that can be produced, prepared and exported per financial year as a Small Horticultural Products Registered Establishment

Product	Maximum tonnage per year
Apples or pears (either or both)	400
Avocados	5
Cherries	30
Citrus	400
Cut flowers	5
Kiwi fruit	5
Leafy vegetable	10
Mangoes	100
Melons	10
Stone fruit (except cherries)	400
Strawberries or berries (either or both)	5
Table grapes	400
Vegetables other than leafy vegetables	100
All other kinds of horticultural products	5

Charges

If your SHPRE does not meet these requirements at any point within the financial year, you will be charged the full rate for your registered establishment as outlined in the charging guidelines.

The registration of new establishments also attracts a once-off $600 application fee, which is in addition to the annual charge based on the charging guidelines. Where registration has lapsed or the establishment was deregistered, an establishment will need to undergo a new registration process and pay the $600 application fee.