Alerts

The department will be changing the nursery stock import permit application category and assessment fees, extending the permit validity period and updating the application form for all nursery stock import permits. The changes will come into effect on 1 July 2021.

Import permit category and fees

• From 1 July 2021 nursery stock permit applications (including variations) will change from a Category 1 application to a Category 2 application. Category 2 applications include a minimum assessment fee of $120 which covers an initial 60-minute assessment period.
• In line with the Charging guidelines 2021, the department will charge nursery stock importers an additional assessment fee of $30 for each 15 minutes, or part thereof, when an assessment exceeds the allocated 60 minute assessment period.
• The $120 permit application lodgement charge applicable to all categories of permit applications remains unchanged.

Import permit validity

• The department will be extending the validity of all nursery stock import permits from one year to two years.

Application form updates

• The nursery stock application form will be updated to simplify the questions and ensure that they are relevant and specific. As import permit conditions are specific to a country of origin, and each permit is assessed individually, a permit application for nursery stock will be restricted to one country of origin.

Background:
In recent years the department has been continually revising import conditions for nursery stock in response to emerging biosecurity risks and new scientific information on pest biology, distribution and host ranges. As a result, import conditions have become more complex and the time required to assess an application has significantly increased. The category of nursery stock permit applications is being changed to account for this increase in assessment times.

The proposed updates to the application form will help to streamline the assessment process.

Who does this notice affect:
Importers of nursery stock (live plants) and approved arrangements, freight forwarders and customs brokers that deal with imported nursery stock.

Further information:
For further information please contact Plant Import Operations at imports@agriculture.gov.au (please title the subject line of the email ‘Plant T2 – Nursery stock permit charging’).