12 September 2017
This Biosecurity Advice notifies stakeholders of the release of the ‘Draft review of import conditions for apiaceous crop seeds for sowing into Australia’.
This draft review identifies pathogens that require phytosanitary measures to manage the risk to a very low level in order to achieve Australia’s appropriate level of protection.
This draft review is being issued for a 60 calendar day stakeholder consultation period. Written comments and submissions are invited by Monday, 13 November 2017.
Australia relies on the overseas supply of seeds for apiaceous herb and vegetable crop production. In recent years, seed-borne pathogens have increasingly been reported outside their known distribution. Seed industry production practices are also changing. This has increased the likelihood of the seeds exposure to pathogens and the introduction of pathogens to new areas. This change in risk profile has prompted the department to review the import conditions for vegetable seeds for sowing into Australia.
This Biosecurity Advice notifies stakeholders of the release of the draft review of import conditions for Apiaceous crop seeds for sowing into Australia (non-regulated risk analysis).
This draft review identified seed-borne pathogens associated with apiaceous crop seeds that are of biosecurity concern to Australia.
The draft review evaluated the effectiveness of existing risk management measures for identified biosecurity risks and proposes risk management measures to reduce the risk posed by the identified seed-borne pathogens to achieve
Australia’s appropriate level of protection (ALOP).
The draft review proposes additional mandatory phytosanitary measures to reduce the risk of introducing identified potential quarantine pests associated with apiaceous crop seeds, to Australia. This is in addition to Australia’s standard requirements for the importation of seeds for sowing (commercial and small seed lots) from all sources.
The proposed additional phytosanitary measures include:
- mandatory testing or treatment (off-shore or on-shore) for aniseed, caraway, celery, coriander, cumin, carrot, fennel, chervil, parsley, and parsnip seeds; and
- a requirement that seed lots tested or treated off-shore should be accompanied by an official government Phytosanitary Certificate endorsed with the additional declaration that the consignment has undergone mandatory treatment or testing in accordance with Australian import conditions.
Not all crop species reviewed were found to be affected by pests of biosecurity concern to Australia. The department proposes that the crop species not affected by quarantine pests continue to be imported under Australia’s standard import requirements for seed for sowing and will not require the additional phytosanitary measures of mandatory testing or treatment.
This review of import conditions for apiaceous crop seeds (carrots, celery, parsley, etc.) is the first in a series of vegetable seed policy reviews. Other families of vegetable seeds being reviewed are: Cucurbitaceae (cucumber, gourd, melon, etc.); Brassicaceae (cauliflower, cabbage, etc.); and Solanaceae (capsicum, eggplant, tomato, etc.). The review of the seed pathway for these vegetable crops is funded under the Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper as part of strengthening biosecurity surveillance and analysis.
Information about the vegetable seeds policy reviews and the risk analysis process are available online. Printed copies of the review are available upon request.
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 template or online form
- email to Plant stakeholders
- mail to: Plant Sciences and Risk Assessment
Biosecurity Plant Division
Department of Agriculture and Water Resources
GPO Box 858
Canberra ACT 2601
AUSTRALIA
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 this 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 (FOI Act) 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.
Freedom of information
A request made to the department under the FOI Act for disclosure of any submission marked ‘confidential’ will be determined in accordance with that Act. In this situation, the department will ordinarily consult with you to obtain your views about disclosing the information to an FOI applicant. Nevertheless, you should be aware that confidential submissions may still be subject to access under freedom of information law.
Intellectual property
Intellectual Property (IP) means all intellectual property rights including rights relating to know-how, copyright, inventions and patents, trademarks, registered designs, layouts and all other rights resulting from intellectual activity in industrial, scientific, literary or artistic fields. Responsibility for compliance with Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in submissions rests with you, the author(s) of the submission and not with the department. 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.
If you have any further queries or require more information please contact the department by emailing Plant stakeholders.
Dr Marion Healy
First Assistant Secretary
Biosecurity Plant Division
Contact: Peter Creaser
Telephone: +61 2 6272 5094
Email:
Plant stakeholders