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Alerts

Notification of import condition reviews for plant research material

Effective from 18 November 2017

The department has been conducting operational reviews of plant, animal and biological import conditions to protect Australia’s biosecurity status and to maintain our market access for agricultural products. The review of import conditions is part of strengthening biosecurity surveillance and analysis under the Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper. Further information on the Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper can be located on the department's website.

We have now commenced work on reviewing the conditions for plant research material which encompasses several BICON cases and permit cases, and many different types of goods including plant material, invertebrates, pathogens and diagnostic kits.

The review will:

  • ensure import conditions are understandable and easy to find in the department’s Biosecurity Import Conditions system (BICON)

  • ensure import conditions are based on current information and risk management approaches wherever possible, while being practical for use by importers and users of imported material

  • allow us to identify the measures available to manage biosecurity risks such as pests, disease and contaminants.

The amount of change to import conditions will vary between commodities. Some will have minimal or no change, and some may have significant changes. Where a major impact on industry is identified, we will work with the industry and keep them informed of the changes and how they will be implemented.

How to stay in touch?

While we are working to safeguard Australia’s agricultural industries, any changes to regulatory measures could affect importers and Australian industries. There are three ways you can stay informed about the progress of these reviews.

  • As import conditions are reviewed, any updates or changes will be outlined in BICON. The best way to stay informed of changes is to register as a BICON user (use the follow case function to receive email notifications when a case changes or has an alert). Please refer to the online factsheet on how to ‘Follow a BICON case’.

    If you are new to BICON, learn how to use BICON through our introductory elearning module.

  • Subscribe to Import Industry Advice Notices for general updates on plant and animal classes.

  • Register your interest by emailing the Plant Import Conditions Review team at planticr@agriculture.gov.au.

This Alert applies to the following Cases: