G/SPS/N/AUS/435/Add.1  
 
6 November 2017  
(17-6008) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
Addendum  
The following communication, received on 1 November 2017, is being circulated at the request of 
the Delegation of Australia . 
 
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Importing fresh cut  flowers and foliage into Australia safely  
Australia has delayed implementation of the new conditions for importing fresh cut flowers and 
foliage into Australia to 1 March 2018 to allow the National Plant Protection Organisations (NPPOs), 
exporters and im porters sufficient time to transition to the new conditions.  
Australia will continue to accept consignments under current import conditions during the 
transition to the new measures, which will  run from 1 November 2017 to 28 February 2018.  
In preparation for the commencement of the new conditions on 1 March 2018, Australia will 
exempt consignments from the mandatory onshore fumigation if they are treated prior to export to 
Australia or are produced under an NPPO approved systems approach. De tails of pre -shipment 
treatment(s) must be provided on a treatment certificate or phytosanitary certificate. 
Consignments produced under a systems approach must be accompanied by a phytosanitary 
certificate with the relevant additional declaration.  
All con signments will be inspected on arrival to confirm that they meet Australia's import 
requirements, including the absence of quarantine pests. If live quarantine pests are detected the 
consignment will be directed for remedial treatment.  
Imports into Austral ia will be closely monitored during the transition period for freedom from 
quarantine pests and details of non -compliance will be provided to trading partners to allow them 
to apply corrective actions for subsequent importation and in preparation for the c ommencement 
of the new import conditions on 1 March 2018.  
From 1 March 2018, all consignments imported in to Australia must meet the new import 
conditions ie. goods to be shipped in insect -proof packaging and labelled with the scientific name 
of the plant species. Certain species will require a devitalisation treatment to prevent propagation. 
The following phytosanitary measures may be applied to ensure absence of quarantine pests to 
achieve the required phytosanitary status:  
 Produced and prepared for expor t under an NPPO -approved systems approach; or  
 Pre-export fumigation with methyl bromide; or  
 Alternative pre -shipment disinfestation treatments.  
On-arrival fumigation will only be used by Australian Government authorities as a remedial 
treatment when quar antine pests are detected on consignments that are verified by the exporting 
NPPO as having met Australia's import conditions.  
If non -compliance continues to be high, Australia will notify trading partners in accordance with 
International Standards for Phy tosanitary Measures (ISPM) No. 13 and may request details of their 
investigation and any corrective actions taken to ensure compliance, consistent with the ISPM. 
Continued detections of quarantine pests or repeated non -compliant shipments entering Australi a 
may result in additional measures or may trigger the need for an Australian Government audit of 
the exporting country's  phytosanitary certification system.  G/SPS/N/AUS/435/Add.1  
 
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  The amended import conditions will be published on Australia's Biosecurity Import Conditions 
system (BICON). More information on the new import conditions can be found at the following 
link: 
http://www.ag riculture.gov.au/import/goods/plant -products/cut -flowers -foliage/importing -fresh-
cut-flowers -into-aus-safely  
This addendum concerns a:  
[ ] Modification of final date for comments  
[ ] Notification of adoption, publication or entry into force of regulation  
[ ] Modification of content and/or scope of previously notified draft regulation  
[ ] Withdrawal of proposed regulation  
[X] Change in proposed date of adoption, publication or date of entry into force  
[ ] Other:  
Comment period: (If the addendum extends the scope of the previously notified 
measure in terms of products and/or potentially affected Members, a new deadline for 
receipt of comments should be provided, normally of at least 60 calendar days. Under 
other circumstances, such as ext ension of originally announced final date for comments, 
the comment period provided in the addendum may vary.)  
[ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the addendum to the notification and/or 
(dd/mm/yy) : 12 November 2017  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [  ] National Notification Authority, 
[X] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of 
other body:  
The Australian SPS Contact Point  
GPO Box 858  
Canberra ACT 2601  
Australia  
E-mail: sps.conta ct@agriculture.gov.au  
Text(s) available from: [  ] National Notification Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point. 
Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:  
The Australian SPS Contact Point  
GPO Box 858  
Canberra ACT 2601  
Australia  
E-mail: sps.contact@agriculture.gov.au  
 
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