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Tasmanian Biosecurity Advisories

Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment

Latest Advisories

Subscribing to get DPIPWE’s Biosecurity Advisories is the best way you can keep yourself up-to-date and fully informed about Tasmanian biosecurity issues. Our Advisories cover topics such as changes or proposed changes to Tasmania’s import regulations, animal health and welfare, plant health, forthcoming regulation reviews and opportunities for public comment, new or emerging pest/disease risks and a range of other matters related to Tasmania’s biosecurity.


198 advisories found.
 
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Biosecurity Advisory 9/2019 - Queensland fruit fly Control Area and Infected Area restrictions on Flinders Island have been lifted

​The Queensland fruit fly (QFF) Control Area restrictions for the Furneaux Group of Islands and Infected Area restrictions at Lady Barron on Flinders Island have been lifted.

Restrictions were officially lifted at 12:01am, Saturday 30 March 2019.  This means that normal movement of fruit fly host produce for Flinders Island can now resume.

Following the earlier lifting of restrictions for northern Tasmania on 9 January 2019, the lifting of restrictions on Flinders Island now means that all Control Area restrictions have been lifted for the State.

Biosecurity Tasmania would like to once again thank the Flinders Island community for their ongoing support, patience and assistance with the fruit fly response.  Since the initial detection of fruit fly on the Island in early 2018 our aim has been to eradicate this pest.  We are very pleased to report that these efforts have been successful.

Biosecurity Tasmania will continue with fruit fly monitoring and reporting activities, which includes regular checking of the permanent fruit fly trap network across the State.

While the northern Control Area and Furneaux Group of Islands have regained their Pest Free Area Status, all Tasmanians are encouraged to remain aware of the risk of QFF and to be on the lookout for any signs of fruit fly and report any suspect produce to Biosecurity Tasmania on 03 6165 3774.

Please remember that everyone must continue to obey Tasmania’s strict rules and regulations regarding not bringing fruit fly host produce into the State from mainland Australia.  Fines may apply. Commercial shipments of fruit and vegetables are permitted only if they comply with special certifications from the state of origin and where required, appropriate treatments to manage risk of QFF entry.

Further information is available on the website: www.dpipwe.tas.gov.au/fruitfly

(1/4/2019)
Categories: Cropping; Horticulture; Invasive Species; Natural environment; Pasture; Plant diseases; Plant pests; Policy and Legislation; Seeds; Wildlife; Gene technology;

Biosecurity Advisory 8/2019 - Independent review of the Queensland Fruit Fly response has now commenced

The 2018-2019 Queensland fruit fly (QFF) response was the largest biosecurity response in Tasmania’s history. 

An Independent Review into the Tasmanian QFF incursion and response has now commenced.  The aim of the Review is to consider the lessons learnt to ensure that Tasmania is best placed to manage the risk which QFF poses to our horticultural industries.

Written submissions for the Review can now be lodged until 31 May 2019 to Fruit.Fly.Review@dpipwe.tas.gov.au

 Public meetings will be held in June/July 2019, with the final report to be finalised by year end.  

For more information about the Review and for further instructions on how to make a submission please visit: https://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/biosecurity-tasmania/about-biosecurity-tasmania/independent-review-of-the-queensland-fruit-fly-response​​

(18/3/2019)
Categories: Cropping; Gene technology; Horticulture; Invasive Species; Natural environment; Pasture; Plant diseases; Plant pests; Policy and Legislation; Seeds;

Biosecurity Advisory 6/2019 - Changes to import requirements for fruit fly host produce fumigated with methyl bromide

​Changes to import requirement for fruit fly host produce fumigated with methyl bromide (IR2)

In response to recent evidence of fumigation failures in fruit fly host produce from Victoria, Biosecurity Tasmania have made some significant amendments to Import Requirement 2 – Fruit Fly Host Produce – Disinfestation with Methyl Bromide.  The amendments were made in consultation with Agriculture Victoria who have also made Tasmania-specific amendments to the Victorian Interstate Certification Assurance arrangement ICA-04 – Fumigation for Quarantine operational procedure.


The amendments to IR2 are:
1.    Improved specifications regarding extensive fruit core temperature checking throughout pallets of produce prior to fumigation to ensure that fruit core temperature is consistently at or above 17°C;
2.    A new requirement to maintain an ambient air temperature of 17°C in the fumigation chamber throughout the two hour fumigation; and
3.    A new requirement for pre-treatment 600 unit inspections for all mangoes and stone fruit to verify that the produce is free from live fruit fly larvae prior to fumigation occurring.

The amended IR2 took effect from 12:01am on Friday 1 March 2019. With these changes in place, Biosecurity Tasmania will again accept fruit fly host produce fumigated by accredited businesses under ICA-04.
It is likely that the amended IR2 will remain in place until a national re-write of ICA-04 occurs. However, should further larval detections be made, Biosecurity Tasmania will take further actions as necessary.
Biosecurity Tasmania will also continue to conduct increased inspections of high risk fruit fly host produce entering the State.

The amended IR2 can be found here

(1/3/2019)
Categories: Plant diseases; Plant pests; Policy and Legislation;

Biosecurity Advisory 5/2019 - Recent detections of Brown marmorated stink bug in Victoria

Recent detections of Browm marmorated stink bug in Victoria.

Brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) (Halyomorpha halys) has recently been found in Melbourne's South East. Agriculture Victoria are responding to these detections. Detections have also occurred at major shipping ports across Australia in recent times.

BMSB is a significant agricultural pest with potential to attack over 300 plant hosts. It is also a nuisance pest, that shelters in large numbers inside homes, other buildings, vehicles, machinery and sheds. It produces a very unpleasant odour when disturbed or squashed.

Whilst BMSB has not been detected in Tasmania, Biosecurity Tasmania is conducting general and targeted surveillance for this exotic pest on imported goods, shipping containers and agricultural machinery and on potential host plants. This includes inspection of cargo, as well as insect trapping and surveillance of likely pathways under the National Plant Health Surveillance Program.

If you think you may have found a brown marmorated stink bug, please call the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline on 1800 084 881

Further information about BMSB can be found in the Brown marmorated stink bug factsheet

(18/2/2019)
Categories: Cropping; Horticulture; Invasive Species; Plant pests;

Biosecurity Advisory 4/2019: Tasmania’s final draft of the Biosecurity Bill 2019 is now available for public comment.

​The final draft of Tasmania’s Biosecurity Bill 2019 is now available for public comment. 

The draft Biosecurity Bill provides a simpler and more effective legal framework for the management of disease, weeds and vermin, imports of plant and animal products, and biosecurity emergencies. 

The new draft Bill will facilitate the sharing of responsibility between Government, industry and the community for biosecurity management. It will retain many of the elements of Tasmania’s existing biosecurity system, but in a modernised and consolidated form.

A draft of the Bill has been provided to key stakeholders and has been published on DPIPWE’s website. For more information, go to: https://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/biosecurity-tasmania/about-biosecurity-tasmania/biosecurity-legislation-review/draft-biosecurity-bill​​

Feedback on the final exposure draft of the Bill can be emailed by 22 February 2019 to biosecuritybill@dpipwe.tas.gov.au​

(31/1/2019)
Categories: Wildlife; Timber imports; Seeds; Policy and Legislation; Plant pests; Plant diseases; Pasture; Natural environment; Marine pests; Livestock; Invasive Species; Horticulture; Gene technology; Freshwater pests; Cropping;

Biosecurity Advisory 3/2019 - Queensland fruit fly Control Area and Infected Area restrictions in northern Tasmania have been lifted

​The Queensland fruit fly (QFF) Control Area and Infected Area restrictions in northern Tasmania have been lifted. The restrictions were put in place in early 2018 following the discovery of QFF in Tasmania.

Northern Tasmania Control Area restrictions lifted

Control Area restrictions were officially lifted at 12.01 am, Wednesday 9 January 2019. This means that normal movement of fruit fly host produce has resumed. 

The valuable local and domestic trade has reopened. Biosecurity Tasmania are working closely with the Australian Government to finalise the technical information each of our trading partners need for international markets to reopen. 

Biosecurity Tasmania will now return to normal fruit fly monitoring and reporting activities on mainland Tasmania, which includes regular checking of the trapping grid across the State as a general surveillance tool.

Restrictions remain for Furneaux Group of Islands​

A single adult male Queensland fruit fly was detected at Lady Barron on Flinders Island during the ongoing surveillance program undertaken by the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment (DPIPWE) late last year

This recent detection of fruit fly has resulted in the continuation of the Control Area restrictions on the Furneaux Group of Islands and the Infected Area restrictions at Lady Barron, until March 2019 - pending no further detections.

The Infected Area restrictions at Trousers Point/Loccota and Badger Corner on Flinders Island have been lifted.

Everyone must continue to obey Tasmania’s strict rules and regulations about not bringing fruit fly host produce into the State. Fines may apply. 

Queensland fruit fly remains an ongoing threat. To retain Tasmania’s Pest Free Area status, everyone is asked to remain on the lookout for any signs of fruit fly and report any suspect produce to Biosecurity Tasmania on 03 6165 3774. ​

Further information is availabvble on the website at: www.dpipwe.tas.gov.au/fruitfly​

(9/1/2019)
Categories: Cropping; Horticulture; Natural environment; Plant pests; Policy and Legislation; Seeds; Plant diseases; Gene technology; Invasive Species; Pasture;

Biosecurity Advisory 2/2019 – Removal from sale of cultivars of Asparagus aethiopicus

Biosecurity Tasmania advises Tasmanian importers and distributors of nursery plants that cultivars of (Plant Biosecurity Manual List A plant species) Asparagus aethiopicus have been detected in outlets, and removed from sale.

Biosecurity Tasmania will be closely monitoring nursery imports for A. aethiopicus cultivars. These will be prevented entry to Tasmania, and removed from sale if found in nurseries.

Plant Biosecurity Manual List A species Asparagus aethiopicus (common names include asparagus fern, ground asparagus, basket asparagus fern, and basket asparagus) has been detected on sale in several retail outlets in Tasmania during 2018. The detected plants were labelled only under trade/cultivar names, without a species name. The plants have been referred to as ‘Asparagus Meyerii’, but could potentially be referred to under a long list of cultivar names, including (but not limited to) Asparagus ‘Myersii’, Asparagus ‘Sprengeri’, and Asparagus ‘Variegata’.

These plants are regarded as cultivars of Asparagus aethiopicus, and were formally declared as weeds in 2017 under the Weed Management Act 1999. Propagation, trade in, and movement of these plants in Tasmania is prohibited. 

Biosecurity Tasmania requests that horticultural plant wholesalers and retailers remain vigilant in ensuring no Asparagus aethiopicus plants are on offer, or in their stock. These plants may be labelled only under their cultivar name so if there is any doubt industry members are asked to please contact Biosecurity Tasmania to have the plants identified.

If you have any questions regarding this matter, please contact Michael Noble, Program Coordinator (Invasive Species), Biosecurity Operations Branch, Phone 03 6478 4128 or email michael.noble@dpipwe.tas.gov.au​

(7/1/2019)
Categories: Horticulture; Natural environment; Policy and Legislation;

Biosecurity Advisory 1/2019 - Public comment invited on proposal to import Rose-crowned conure into Tasmania

​The Wildlife Management Branch of the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment have received a submission for the Rose-crowned conure Pyrrhura rhodocephala species profile for consideration to import into Tasmania. 

Public comments are invited by 9 January 2019.
  
Details of the species profile and risk assessment are available for viewing on the DPIPWE website at:  

For further enquiries on the import proposal please contact:

Wildlife Management Branch
DPIPWE
200 Collins Street 
GPO Box 44
HOBART TAS 7001
Phone: 03 6165 4305
Fax: 03 6173 0253

(3/1/2019)
Categories: Invasive Species; Policy and Legislation; Natural environment; Wildlife;

Biosecurity Advisory 30/2018 - Plant Biosecurity Manual Tasmania (PBMTas): 2019 edition published 19 December 2018

​The 2019 edition of the Plant Biosecurity Manual Tasmania (PBMTas) was published on the Biosecurity Tasmania website (www.dpipwe.tas.gov.au/biosecurity​) on 19 December 2018. The manual will only be published online, and will not be available in hard copy format.

The new edition of the PBMTas includes several changes to important Import Requirements (IR’s). Please note that these changes take legal effect from the date of public release, which is 19 December 2018.
 
The revised conditions and restrictions in this year’s Manual, include but are not limited to:
  • The introduction of new Import Requirements for Tomato Potato Psyllid (IR46), and Citrus Canker (IR31);
  • Revocation of IR25 - Green Snail- Vector Import Controls;
  • Significant amendments to IR1 – Fruit Fly Host Produce – Area Freedom; IR2 – Fruit Fly Host Produce – Disinfestation with Methyl Bromide; IR4 – Fruit Fly Host Produce – Disinfestation of Mango and Papaya with Heat; IR8A – Fruit Fly Host Produce – Post-harvest Treatment with Dimethoate; and IR38 – Nursery Stock;
  • Extensive update to entries in Table 2 Import Requirement Summary Table;
  • Changes in acceptance status of several Interstate Certification Assurances (ICAs) as recognised by Biosecurity Tasmania (see Section 2.18 of the Manual); and
  • Update of Tasmania’s Regulated Quarantine Pest List A & B Pests and Diseases (Appendix 1.1), and Unwanted Quarantine Pests (& Diseases) (Appendix 1.2), including the declaration of.
​In term​s of more recent plant biosecurity ‘quarantine pest’ declaration changes, besides a couple of pest name taxonomic updates, key changes have included new declarations of Citrus Canker as a Regulated Quarantine Pest (RQP), removal of Green Snail as a RQP to an Unwanted Quarantine Pest (UQP), and declaration of Cowpea Mild Mottle Virus and Giant Pine Scale as UQP’s.

The annual update of Tasmania’s Regulated Quarantine Pests (RQPs - Section 12 List A and B plant pests) was also published in the Government Gazette on Wednesday 21 November 2018. A copy of this Gazette can be accessed on the Tasmanian Government Gazette website​.
 
As in previous years the updated RQP List is included in the 2018 edition of the Plant Biosecurity Manual Tasmania (PBMTas) in Appendix 1. As a reminder, a Regulated Quarantine Pest (RQP) is a pest which:
  • poses a significant threat to our primary industries and/or natural environment; and is either not present in Tasmania; or present in the State but is under some form of official control program.

(19/12/2018)
Categories: Cropping; Gene technology; Horticulture; Invasive Species; Natural environment; Pasture; Plant diseases; Plant pests; Policy and Legislation; Seeds; Timber imports; Wildlife; Freshwater pests; Marine pests; Livestock;

Biosecurity Advisory 29/2018 - Single male Queensland fruit fly detected on Flinders Island during ongoing surveillance

​A single adult male Queensland fruit fly has been detected on Flinders Island during the ongoing surveillance program undertaken by Biosecurity Tasmania.

The detection does not affect northern Tasmania. The target date for reinstatement for the Northern Tasmanian Control Area remains 9 January 2019, subject to not detecting any fruit fly in this area.

This recent detection of the adult male fruit fly will extend the control area restrictions on Flinders Island until March 2019 - if there were no further detections.

The male fruit fly was detected at Lady Barron on Flinders Island near a previously infected property. Following the detections on Flinders Island earlier this year there is an ongoing response on the Island and eradication activities will be resumed around the detection site. These activities include property inspections, spot baiting, installation of additional traps, collection of fallen fruit and the implementation of larval surveys consistent with National protocols.

The identification of the fly was made late last week and since its confirmation we have been undertaking response planning and notifying stakeholders in line with established protocols.

Biosecurity Tasmania remains confident that fruit fly can be eradicated from Flinders Island and all of Tasmania and are focussed on this goal.

There have been no further detections in any other areas of Flinders Island, or northern Tasmania. 

Due to the location of the detection, it is believed the detection is of an overwintering fruit fly on the Island. Because of the slightly warmer climate, the possibility of an overwintering fruit fly on Flinders Island has been a scenario Biosecurity Tasmania has been prepared for.

Returning residents and visitors are reminded not to bring host produce onto the Island and obey airport and coastal access point signs and use fruit disposal bins provided when leaving the Control Area. Biosecurity officers and detector dogs will continue their role of checking incoming passengers for fruit on arrival at Launceston airport.

Biosecurity Tasmania asks for the continued support of Flinders Island residents to ensure we eradicate fruit fly from the I​sland and reduce the risk of its further movement. Further information on Queensland fruit fly is available on the Biosecurity Tasmania website: www.dpipwe.tas.gov.au/fruitfly​ 

​Report any fruit fly sightings to the Hotline on 03 6165 3774

(18/12/2018)
Categories: Cropping; Gene technology; Horticulture; Invasive Species; Natural environment; Pasture; Plant diseases; Plant pests; Policy and Legislation; Seeds; Wildlife;

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