Changes

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (the department) has completed a Weed Risk Assessment (WRA) for Pachycereus marginatus and has determined that the species does not pose a weed risk to Australia, on the basis that the species is already present in Australia and not under official control.

As a result, Pachycereus marginatus has been added to the ‘Cacti for use as nursery stock’ case and may be permitted entry into Australian territory subject to the import conditions of this case.

No other changes have been made to import conditions of this case.

Background:
The Weed Risk Assessment and Disease Risk Assessment systems are a science-based quarantine risk analysis tool for determining the weed potential of a species and the disease risks associated with a genus All plants proposed for importation into Australian territory and not currently permitted on BICON are assessed for their potential to introduce disease or become weeds in Australia. Further information on the assessment process is available on the department's webpage.

Import permits:
Current import permits will not be updated to reflect this change, any permit holders intending to import this species will have to apply for a variation to include this additional species.

Who does this notice affect:
Importers (and their customs brokers) of this species for an end use of nursery stock and departmental staff.

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