Changes

Following a risk assessment of imported Colocasia spp. nursery stock, the BICON case ‘Colocasia spp. for use as nursery stock’ has been updated to include conditions for Colocasia spp. imported as tissue culture.

Colocasia spp. tissue culture can now be imported into Australia, subject to conditions in this case, which include a minimum of 6 months of disease screening in post-entry quarantine (PEQ) at the Mickleham PEQ facility, with active testing required for viruses of biosecurity concern. No forms of Colocasia other than tissue culture will be permitted for import under these updated conditions.

The department has also completed Weed Risk Assessments for a number of Colocasia species. The following scientific names have been added to the BICON case as permitted species, as the department has assessed these species and determined that they are synonyms of Colocasia esculenta.

The following scientific names have been added to the BICON case as permitted species, as the department has determined that these species are present in Australia and not under official control.

Background:
Prior to this change, the BICON case ‘Colocasia spp. for use as nursery stock’ was suspended due to lack of trade. Following a request made to the department to re-establish this import pathway, a renewed assessment of the weed potential and disease risks was undertaken to determine appropriate import conditions to facilitate the resumption of this trade.

The Weed Risk Assessment and Disease Risk Assessment systems are science-based quarantine risk analysis tools for determining the weed potential of a species and the disease risks of 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 weed species in Australia. Further information on the assessment process is available on the department’s website.

Who does this notice affect:
Importers of nursery stock, customs brokers and departmental staff.

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