Review of policy: importation of grapevine

FINAL

April 2013

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Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (2013) Final review of policy: importation of grapevine (Vitis species) propagative material into Australia. CC BY 3.0.

Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (2013) Final review of policy: importation of grapevine (Vitis species) propagative material into Australia. Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Canberra.

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Contents

Summary

The recommended risk management measures for propagative material are detailed below.

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  Mandatory on-arrival inspection; fumigation; hot water treatment; and surface sterilisation;
  
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  Mandatory growth in a closed government PEQ facility for a minimum period of 16 months for pathogen screening (visual observation; culturing; and electron microscopy); and
  
• 
  Active pathogen testing through herbaceous host indexing and molecular tests including, but not limited to, PCR or ELISA.
  

• 
  Mandatory on-arrival inspection;
  
• 
  Mandatory growth in a closed government PEQ facility for a minimum period of 12 months for pathogen screening (visual observation; culturing; and electron microscopy); and
  
• 
  Active pathogen testing through herbaceous host indexing and molecular tests including, but not limited to, PCR or ELISA.
  

• 
  Mandatory on-arrival inspection, surface sterilisation, fungicidal treatment, and growth in a closed government PEQ facility for a minimum period of nine months for pathogen screening (visual observation and electron microscopy); and
  
• 
  Active pathogen testing through herbaceous host indexing and molecular tests including, but not limited to, PCR.
  

Foundation Plant Services, California, USA is currently an approved source to supply pathogen tested grapevine propagative material to Australia. However, Plant Biosecurity will consider requests for approval of other overseas sources (e.g. institutions, NPPOs), based on the framework recommended in this review.

The recommended changes to import requirements for dormant cuttings and tissue cultures from non-approved sources will also apply to material from approved sources (e.g. the PEQ period will be reduced to 16 months for dormant cuttings and 12 months for tissue cultures). Seed for sowing from approved sources is currently not subject to PEQ and this is recommended to continue.

Plant Biosecurity has made several changes following consideration of stakeholder comments on the Draft review of policy – importation of grapevine (Vitis spp.) propagative material into Australia. However, these changes have no impact on recommended risk management measures. The major changes made in the finalisation of this policy include:

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  the addition of three viruses (Grapevine Pinot gris virus, Grapevine red blotch-associated virus and Grapevine virus F) as pathogens of quarantine concern; and
  
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  the inclusion of Daktulosphaira vitifoliae and Pseudococcus maritimus as quarantine pests for grapevine propagative material.
  

1.1 Australia’s biosecurity policy framework

The pest risk analysis (PRA) process is an important part of Australia’s biosecurity policies. It enables the Australian Government to formally consider the risks that could be associated with proposals to import products into Australia. If the risks are found to exceed Australia’s appropriate level of protection (ALOP), risk management measures are proposed to reduce the risk to an acceptable level. If it is not possible to reduce the risks to an acceptable level, then no trade will be allowed.

Successive Australian governments have maintained a conservative, but not a zero risk, approach to the management of biosecurity risks. This approach is expressed in terms of Australia’s ALOP, which reflects community expectations through government policy and is currently described as providing a high level of protection aimed at reducing risk to a very low level, but not to zero.

Australia’s PRAs are undertaken by Plant Biosecurity and Animal Biosecurity (formerly conjointly known as Biosecurity Australia), within the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), using teams of technical and scientific experts in relevant fields. PRAs involve consultation with stakeholders at various stages during the process. Plant Biosecurity and Animal Biosecurity provide recommendations for animal and plant quarantine policy to Australia’s Director of Animal and Plant Quarantine (the Secretary of the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry). The Director or delegate is responsible for determining whether or not an importation can be permitted under the Quarantine Act 1908, and if so, under what conditions. Plant Import Operations, within DAFF (formerly the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service), is responsible for implementing appropriate risk management measures.

More information about Australia’s biosecurity framework is provided in the Import Risk Analysis Handbook 2007 (update 2009) located on the DAFF website www.daff.gov.au/ba.

1.2 This review of existing policy