Final import risk analysis report for apples from New Zealand

Page Shortcuts

Page Content

Final import risk analysis report for apples from New Zealand

30 November 2006

BA06/03

Biosecurity Australia today issued a final import risk analysis report (IRA) assessing an application from New Zealand to export apples to Australia.

The final report takes into account the issues raised by stakeholders in response to the draft report circulated in December 2005.

The final IRA report recommends permitting the importation of apples from New Zealand to Australia (except for Western Australia), subject to the following stringent quarantine risk management conditions, consistent with Australia’s conservative approach to quarantine:

  • mandatory pre-clearance and auditing arrangements in New Zealand involving Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) officers
  • freedom from fire blight symptoms - inspection of orchards for any visible fire blight symptoms
  • use of disinfection treatment (eg. chlorine) in packing houses to prevent contamination of apples with fire blight bacteria
  • freedom from European canker disease - inspection of orchards during autumn or winter after leaf fall
  • freedom from apple leaf curling midge - inspection in New Zealand of a random sample of 3,000 fruit in each export lot
  • inspection for all other quarantine pests, with remedial action.
The report recommends that New Zealand apples not be imported to WA.  No effective risk management measures have been identified for the disease apple scab, which is currently not endemic to WA.  This is consistent with the current practice that prevents apples being moved to WA from all other states within Australia, where apple scab is endemic.

The Eminent Scientists Group, which reviewed submissions from stakeholders and the draft final IRA report, advised the Director of Quarantine that the 40 submissions have been given proper consideration.

Stakeholders have until 12 January 2007 to appeal in writing to the Import Risk Analysis Appeals Panel, which is independent of Biosecurity Australia, if they consider there was a significant deviation from the process set out in the Import Risk Analysis Handbook, or a significant body of scientific information relevant to the outcome of the IRA was not considered.

Following the appeal process (and implementation of appeal outcomes, if required) a final report and recommendations will be provided to the Director of Quarantine, who will then make a quarantine policy determination.

The Final Import Risk Analysis Report for Apples from New Zealand and the report of the Eminent Scientists Group are available at www.BiosecurityAustralia.gov.au

Media contact  
John Wilson       
Biosecurity Australia   
02 6272 3811