News Releases

DATE:	May 19, 2006
CONTACT:

Australia Review of Planting Seeds

Sydney, Australia
May 19, 2006
USDA/FAS GAIN report AS 6030

Report Highlights

Biosecurity Australia is conducting a review of the list of plant seeds that are allowed entry to Australia, known as the permitted seeds list. The review involves replacing 2913 genus-level listings, currently on the permitted seeds list, with the species within those genera that are already present in Australia.

Biosecurity Australia (BA) is conducting a review of the list of plant seeds that are allowed entry to Australia, known as the permitted seeds list (Schedule 5 of the Quarantine Proclamation 1998). The review involves replacing 2913 genus-level listings, currently on the permitted seeds list, with the species within those genera that are already present in Australia.

The review of the permitted seeds list is intended to protect Australia's pest and disease free status, by not permitting exotic weedy species into the country, while also complying with international obligations by ensuring that species already present in Australia and not under official control are not prohibited.

Biosecurity Australia is inviting stakeholders to comment on a list of species thought to be in Australia and proposed to remain on the permitted seeds list.

Please note that Biosecurity Australia intends to keep the family Orchidaceae on Schedule 5 of the Quarantine Proclamation 1998 (permitted seeds list). However, all current genera within the family Orchidaceae will be removed as they are already permitted under the family-level listing.

The removal of genus-level entries from the permitted seeds list is not a blanket exclusion of those species that are not included on the permitted seeds list. Importers can approach AQIS and seek a Weed Risk Assessment on any plant species to determine its weed risk to Australian agriculture and/or the environment. Provided the assessment concludes the weed potential is low and there are no other quarantine concerns the species would be added to the permitted seeds list and imports allowed.

To streamline the review process, Biosecurity Australia has developed a website that will allow users to view the list of species, and submit comments online. The web site includes more detailed information on the review and can be accessed at:
http://www.daff.gov.au/content/output.cfm?ObjectID=B85A9DF7-7A0C-44AFB14EAD3F93A18DFD. Please note this web site will only be accessible for the 60-day consultation period between 15 May 2006 and 14 July 2006.

Each stakeholder can only make one submission, however the electronic system allows your work to be saved as you progress through the comment process and return to the same place as often as you require before it is finally submitted to BA. To make a comment, you will have to register as a stakeholder which can be done through the above website. You will be given a unique username and password to log into the system. Once you have completed your comments, your password will be automatically de-activated and you will be unable to
make further comments. Further details are available on the website. Please direct any questions about the permitted seeds list review by email or letter to:

Permitted Seeds List Review
Biosecurity Australia
GPO Box 858
Canberra ACT 2601
Australia

Ph: +61 2 6272 5094
Fax: +61 2 6272 3307
Email: permittedseedslist@daff.gov.au

Stakeholders are advised that, subject to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 and the Privacy Act 1988, all submissions received will be publicly available and may be listed or referred to in any papers or reports prepared on the subject matter.

The Commonwealth reserves the right to reveal the identity of a respondent unless a request for anonymity accompanies the submission. Where a request for anonymity does not accompany the submission the respondent will be taken to have consented to the disclosure of his or her identity for the purposes of Information Privacy Principle 11 of the Privacy Act 1988.

The contents of the submission will not be treated as confidential unless they are marked 'confidential' and they are capable of being classified as such in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 1982.

Source document: http://www.fas.usda.gov/gainfiles/200605/146187787.pdf

###