Import Conditions

Case: Soil and articles containing soil Effective 16 Nov 2022 to 14 Dec 2022

Soil samples subject to mandatory treatment onshore

Import conditions prior to arrival in Australian territory

1. A Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry import permit is not required, provided that the following conditions are met.

Import conditions after arrival in Australian territory

2. All consignments must be directed to an approved arrangement (AA) site and the goods treated by one of the following treatment methods:

   1. dry heat treatment at 160°C for 2 hours (if each individual sample does not exceed 500g in weight), or
   2. heat treatment in an autoclave at 121°C, 15psi for 30 minutes, or
   3. heat treatment in an autoclave at 134°C, 15psi for 4 minutes, or
   4. ionising radiation to a level that achieves a minimum absorbed dose of 50 kGy.

   All samples must be directed to an AA site class 4.1 for dry heat treatment, class 8.3 for autoclave heat treatment or class 4.2 for ionising radiation. Samples for dry heat treatment or autoclave heat treatment can also be directed for treatment at a class 5 AA nominated by the importer.

3. Where the importer is also the treatment provider, the samples must be treated within 72 hours of receipt by the importer.

4. Prior to treatment:

   1. The goods must not be used for any purpose (including analysis or extraction/isolation of material), and
   2. The samples must be kept in a secure area in the nominated AA.

5. Treatment at an AA site is mandatory even if the product has been treated prior to import into Australia.

6. Please note that any treatment applied may have adverse effects on the goods.

7. Records of all treatments must be made and maintained for audit purposes.

Additional information

8. Commercial administrative conditions
   Documents must be provided with each consignment which:

   1. identify the consignment (if non-personal) e.g. entry number
   2. identify all goods being imported as part of this consignment e.g. invoice or waybill or importer’s manifest
   3. describe the goods being imported (where not clear).
   e.g. 1: Product XRab = Purified protein derived from rabbits
   e.g. 2: Product AX = Synthetic antibiotic
   e.g. 3: Comte = Cheese.

9. Under the Biosecurity Charges Imposition (General) Regulation 2016 and Chapter 9, Part 2 of the Biosecurity Regulation 2016, fees are payable to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry for all services. Detail on how the department applies fees and levies may be found in the Charging guidelines.

10. In addition to the conditions for the goods being imported, non-commodity concerns must be assessed including container cleanliness, packaging and destination concerns, and may be subject to inspection and treatment on arrival. Please refer to the Non-Commodity Cargo Clearance BICON case for further information.

Warnings and Information Notices

Where applicable, the importer or end user must comply with:
1. International (e.g. International Air Transport Association) and domestic requirements concerning the safe handling, transport and labelling of biological material
2. AS/NZS 2243 Safety in Laboratories standards
3. Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR) requirements
4. The Security Sensitive Biological Agents (SSBA) regulatory scheme.

11. If you are unable to meet the above import conditions and you believe that the biosecurity risk of your goods can be managed in an alternative way, you may apply for an import permit which will be assessed by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry prior to the importation of goods into Australia.

    Note that an import permit will only be issued if biosecurity risks can be managed to an acceptably low level. You will need to provide information with your permit application to demonstrate equivalence with the conditions outlined above.

    An import permit may be obtained by submitting an import permit application to the department (use the 'Apply Now' button at the bottom of this page).