Alerts
Commencement of amended emergency measures for Xylella
Effective from 3 August 2020The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (the department) has introduced further actions to manage the risk of the bacterial pathogen Xylella in imported nursery stock.
What are the changes:
Regulatory measures will apply to more plant families.
Due to new published literature showing that Xylella infects new hosts, the emergency measures will be applied to nine (9) additional plant families:
Cannaceae
Gesneriaceae
Linaceae
Polemoniaceae
Resedaceae
Scrophulariaceae
Simmondsiaceae
Strelitziaceae
Tamaricaceae
See Table 1 for a list of affected genera.
Genera within existing regulated plant families are being updated
Since emergency measures were introduced in 2015, the department has reviewed the application of existing conditions to ensure that they are fit-for-purpose and effective in managing biosecurity risks. Import conditions have been revised to ensure that emergency measures are appropriately targeted to Xylella regulated plant families. These changes have resulted in:
2.1. Genera requiring additional measures for Xylella (Table 1).
2.2. Genera no longer requiring regulatory measures for Xylella, as they do not belong to a regulated plant family (Table 2).
Table 1. Genera that will be subject to Xylella measures as they either belong to a regulated family or a new regulated plant family for Xylella.
Achimenes |
Gloxinia |
Phlox |
Aeschynanthus |
Gomphrena |
Phygelius |
Agalmyla |
Haberlea |
Polemonium |
Alonsoa |
Halothamnus |
Quamasia |
Aptosimum |
Hebenstretia |
Ramonda |
Asteranthera |
Henningia |
Ravenala |
Bombacopsis |
Hesperochiron |
Reineckea |
Briggsia |
Hesperopeuce |
Reseda |
Buddleia |
Hesperoscordum |
Rohdea |
Buddleja |
Hookera |
Saintpaulia |
Cantua |
Hypocyrta |
Scrophularia |
Cassytha |
Iresine |
Selago |
Castalis |
Jamesbrittenia |
Semele |
Castilleja |
Jankaea |
Simmondsia |
Chirita |
Kochia |
Sinningia |
Chrysothemis |
Kohleria |
Strelitzia |
Chusquea |
Ledebouria |
Streptocarpus |
Cobaea |
Leucophyllum |
Sutera |
Collomia |
Linanthus |
Tamarix |
Columnea |
Linum |
Tinus |
Conandron |
Liriope |
Trichopetalum |
Diascia |
Lysionotus |
Trichosporum |
Duvalia |
Merwilla |
Trichostema |
Duvernoia |
Mitraria |
Tripleurospermum |
Enantia |
Myoporum |
Tripteris |
Episcia |
Navarretia |
Tritoma |
Eremophila |
Nematanthus |
Verbascum |
Eucodonia |
Nemesia |
Widdringtonia |
Euphrasia |
Nicodemia |
Xanthoceras |
Exomis |
Ohlendorffia |
Zaluzianskya |
Froelichia |
Ophiobostryx |
Zoellnerallium |
Gesneria |
Pasaniopsis |
|
Gilia |
Petrocosmea |
|
Table 2. Genera that will no longer require measures for Xylella.
Anacampseros |
Griselinia |
Oakesia |
Berzelia |
Gynandropsis |
Pseudolachnostylis |
Bridelia |
Haumania |
Pukateria |
Carpodetus |
Hybanthus |
Royena |
Echinus |
Hymenanthera |
Tetragonia |
Goniophlebium |
Muiria |
|
What types of material are affected:
These changes affect all permitted genera and species within affected plant families, imported as nursery stock. This includes tissue cultures, rooted plants, budwood and cuttings.
These requirements do not apply to imports of true botanical seeds.
What about consignments that are in-transit:
The revised conditions will apply to consignments that are exported to Australia on or after 3 August 2020.
Consignments that are exported to Australia prior to 3 August 2020 will be permitted entry into Australian territory under existing conditions.
Commercial documentation (i.e. bill of lading or airway bill) must be provided to the department to verify that the date of export was prior to 3 August 2020. Consignments that are unable to meet this requirement will be subject to the revised conditions.
How will import permits be affected:
The department is working with affected import permit holders to vary existing permits in line with the above changes.
Background:
These actions are being carried out under Australia’s emergency measures for Xylella, to safeguard Australia from the entry of Xylella fastidiosa (and all of its sub-species) and X. taiwanensis.
Xylella is Australia's top priority plant pathogen as it has the potential to severely impact our agricultural and horticultural industries and the environment. In addition to having a large host range, Xylella is easily spread by sap-feeding insects and the propagation of infected plants.
Emergency measures for Xylella were implemented in November 2015 to broaden and strengthen Australia’s biosecurity requirements that safeguard us against its entry. The department will continue to monitor and assess evidence of new risks posed by Xylella and may amend import conditions again in the future.
Further information:
Enquiries can be directed to 1800 900 090 or via email at imports@agriculture.gov.au (please title the subject line of the email with ‘Plant Tier 2 – Xylella emergency measures’).
This Alert applies to the following Cases:
- Saintpaulia spp. for use as nursery stock
- Sudden oak death hosts for use as nursery stock
- Xylella fastidiosa and Sudden Oak Death hosts for use as nursery stock
- Medium risk plants for use as nursery stock
- Cacti for use as nursery stock
- Xylella fastidiosa hosts for use as nursery stock