Plant biosecurity legislation

Plant Biosecurity Act and Regulations

Agriculture Victoria administers the Plant Biosecurity Act 2010, the Plant Biosecurity Regulations 2016 and other subordinate legislation such as Orders to support Victoria's plant biosecurity program.

The purposes of the Act are to:

• prevent the entry of plant pests and diseases into Victoria
• manage and control the spread of plant pests and diseases within Victoria
• facilitate market access for plants and plant products in local, interstate and overseas markets.

The Regulations support the Act by:

• requiring certificates to be used in specified circumstances to prevent the entry of grape phylloxera and potato cyst nematode into Victoria
• prescribing circumstances when properties with grapevines and chestnuts must have a Property Identification Code
• prescribing types of fruits for the purposes of traceability
• prescribing infringements for certain offences.

The Act and Regulations apply to all plants and plant products, including:

• fruit
• vegetables
• nuts
• seeds and grains
• forests and timber
• native flora
• ornamental plants
• juice of a plant.

The legislation may also apply to packaging and agricultural equipment used in connection with plants and plant products.

Plant biosecurity legislation does not include requirements for the prevention, eradication or containment of weeds, which are covered under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994.

Copies of the Act and Regulations can be obtained from the Victorian Legislation website.

Orders

Orders made under the Plant Biosecurity Act 2010:

• may declare pest or diseases, exotic pest or diseases, or notifiable pest or diseases
• may prohibit the movement of material to prevent the entry into Victoria of exotic pests and diseases detected in other States or Territories
• allow areas in Victoria to be declared, and conditions imposed on the movement of materials, to prevent the entry of a pest or disease into that area
• allow areas in Victoria to be declared, and conditions imposed on the movement of materials, to prevent the spread of a pest or disease from that area.

The Orders can be accessed from the Victoria Government Gazette website.

Declared plant pests and diseases

A pest or disease can be declared under the Plant Biosecurity Act 2010 as:

• a pest or disease (WORD - 28.9 KB)
• an exotic pest or disease (WORD - 79.2 KB)
• a notifiable pest or disease (WORD - 21.5 KB)

Early recognition of pests and diseases is vital to controlling the pest or disease. A pest or disease which has been declared as either an exotic or notifiable pest or disease must be reported to Agriculture Victoria.

Importation orders

Orders are in place to prevent the entry of the following pests or diseases into Victoria by restricting or prohibiting the movement of specified plants, plant materials and other items:

• annual ryegrass toxicity
• asparagus stem blight
• citrus red mite
• citrus tristeza virus
• cucumber green mottle mosaic virus
• electric ant
• European house borer
• fire ant
• green snail
• lupin anthracnose
• Mediterranean fruit fly
• onion smut
• polyphagous shot-hole borer
• potato spindle tuber viroid
• pyriform scale
• spiralling whitefly
• tomato potato psyllid
• tomato yellow leaf curl virus.

Declared areas

Orders are in place to:

• manage Queensland fruit fly in the Greater Sunraysia region
• prevent the entry of the pest grape phylloxera into specified areas – Phylloxera Exclusion Zones
• prevent the spread of the pest grape phylloxera from specified areas – Phylloxera Infested Zones
• prevent the entry of the pest potato cyst nematode into specified areas – Otways, Western, Warragul
• prevent the spread of the pest potato cyst nematode from specified parcels of land
• prevent the entry of specified pests and disease into the Toolangi Plant Protection District
• prevent the spread of green snail from specified parcels of land
• control the spread of the disease tomato yellow leaf curl virus.

For more information see moving plants and plant products.

Further information

For more information contact our Customer Service Centre on 136 186.