Changes

The ‘Permitted seed for sowing’ case has been updated to include the following changes:

1. Dactylis maritima has been removed from the case, as this species has been identified through a departmental assessment as an illegitimate name.
2. Cytisus cajan has been removed from the case as this species is a synonym of a restricted species, Cajanus cajan. Imports of Cytisus cajan seed for sowing are therefore subject to the same import conditions as Cajanus cajan, as specified under the ‘Restricted legume seed for sowing’ BICON case.
3. The following scientific names have been added, as the department has assessed that these species pose a low weed risk or are already present in Australia and not under official control. As a result, these species may be permitted entry into Australian territory subject to the conditions under the ‘Permitted seed for sowing’ BICON case.

No other changes have been made to import conditions for Permitted seed for sowing.

Background:

These changes have been reflected in the published Permitted Seeds List (updated on 30 March 2021), which contains conditionally non-prohibited goods which are subject to specific conditions of import.

All additions highlighted under point three are being made following a departmental assessment, which determined that there is a low risk of these species becoming weeds in Australia. The Weed Risk Assessment system is a science-based quarantine risk analysis tool for determining the weed potential of a plant. All plants proposed for importation into Australia and not currently permitted on BICON are assessed for their potential to become weeds in Australia. Further information on the Weed Risk Assessment system is available on the Weed Risk Assessment system is available on the department's website

Who does this notice affect:

Importers of seed for sowing, customs brokers and departmental staff.

Further information:

Contact Plant Import Operations at imports@agriculture.gov.au or phone 1800 900 090.