Responsibilities: Plants and plant products

The importer is responsible for: 

a)  applying for and obtaining an import permit prior to ordering plants or plant material from an overseas supplier;

b)  sending the import permit and import requirements to the supplier, requesting that the consignment complies with the relevant import requirements;

c)  making a reasonable attempt to inform biosecurity service of the method and arrival date of the consignment;

d)  obtaining information or certification from overseas suppliers/ national plant protection organisations, if requested by the biosecurity service because of deficiencies in the information provided with the consignment;

e)  complying with reasonable instructions from the biosecurity service for inspection, isolation, containment and storage of imported goods and

f)  meeting all costs involved under e) and any costs involved in the treatment, destruction or re-export of goods.

The supplier is responsible for:

a)  meeting the relevant import requirements specified on the import permit covering such requirements as treatment and phytosanitary certification; and

b)  informing the importer of shipping details

The biosecurity service in the exporting country is responsible for:

a)  providing reliable assurances that the relevant requirements on the import permit have been met.

The chief biosecurity officer is responsible for:

a)  developing or changing import requirements for plants and plant products. A list of plants and plant products for which requirements have been developed is in the country’s import requirements;

b)  developing and approving specific requirements for holding confiscated goods;

c)  approving and developing import requirements for certain goods imported without import permits as non-commercial consignments;

d)  communicating with overseas national plant protection organisations to resolve specific problems related to the provision of import requirements or certification; and

e)  advising biosecurity officers on technical issues

Biosecurity officers are responsible for:

a)  if located in the permit office:

• advising importers on import requirements
• screening applications for import permits for plants and plant products;
• sending copies of the import permit to port managers.

b)  if located in the port office:

• obtaining a copy of the import permit form the importer and where required, inspecting the goods, certification and other documents;
• releasing the consignment conditionally or unconditionally or detaining the consignment for further investigation, re-export or destruction;
• instructing importers on the measures that need to be followed for secure storage of goods or actions they could take to obtain release of a detained consignment;
• notifying a senor officer where destruction of goods is necessary;
• arranging treatment and supervision of treatment of consignments;
• recording information on imports and correctly filing paperwork;
• make recommendations on prosecutions to the senior biosecurity officer; and
• sending specimens of disease or insects or other organisms to technical staff for identification and advice on further action.