Soil (incl. potting media & mulch)

General Procedures

Specific plants, plant products and other pest and disease host materials are prohibited entry into Victoria unless accompanied by a Plant Health Certificate (PHC) or Plant Health Assurance Certificate (PHAC) certifying compliance with relevant conditions of entry (see individual conditions).  Commodities, which are not prohibited and are hosts of a specified pest or disease may enter Victoria without certification in relation to that pest or disease if sourced from an area of another state or territory covered by an area freedom certificate.

Area Freedom

Unless prohibited any host material, agricultural equipment or used package may enter any part of Victoria without restriction if an Area Freedom Certificate certifying that the State or Territory, or any part of the State or Territory where the host material, agricultural equipment or used package was grown, packed, sourced or last used, is known to be free from a specified pest or disease.

Note:  Any notification or advice of an outbreak of a pest or disease is taken to be an amendment to the relevant Area Freedom Certificate.  In these cases, host material may no longer be accepted under area freedom.

Verification

An importer may be required to present host commodities and accompanying certification for verification by an inspector or a person accredited by the department to verify the material and certification.

Packaging

Packages of all fruit, vegetables or nuts must be clean to touch and free of extraneous visible matter and objectionable odour and in good repair.

Labelling

Packages containing any fruit, vegetable or nut must be legibly marked with the following:

1. the kind of fruit, vegetable or nut (name of commodity); and
2. in the case of prescribed fruit, vegetables or nuts*-
   1. the name and postcode of the city or town nearest to the locality where they were grown, or
   2. an approved code indicating the location of packing or production; and
3. in the case of a commodity certified under an accreditation (e.g. ICA Scheme), information as required by the specific Procedure.

*details of prescribed fruit, vegetables and nuts are provided in the Plant Biosecurity Regulations 2016.

The movement of Earth Material from an area certified as known to be free of Phylloxera to any place in Victoria; or from a PEZ to any place in Victoria; or from a Victoria PRZ into a PRZ or PIZ may move without restriction, otherwise –

the movement of earth material, that has been associated with the cultivation/growing of Vitis (grapevines), into Victoria is prohibited unless the earth material is imported for the purposes of diagnostic samples – see condition 25F.

Documentation requirement: Prohibited.

Under S71 of the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994, “a person must not wilfully bring or cause to be brought into Victoria or transport within Victoria the seeds of a noxious weed or any other part of a noxious weed which is capable of growing whether or not for sale, without a permit from the Secretary.” The movement of noxious weed contaminated fodder, stock, grain, machinery, soil, gravel or stone is also prohibited.

Note: Seeds or other hosts may be tested prior to import into Victoria by an accredited seed testing laboratory for the presence of weed seed. A permit is required only if any weed seed is present in the consignment.

For further details contact the Department Customer Service Centre on 136 186.

Any host material originating from an area covered by an Area Freedom Certificate declaring area freedom from asparagus stem blight may enter Victoria without restriction, otherwise‐

the entry or importation into Victoria of any plant or plant product of the genus Asparagus (including ornamental asparagus) or soil is prohibited unless certified that;

1. in the case of asparagus spears, must undergo:
   1. packing line treatment, at a minimum concentration at least 50ppm available chlorine, at a rate of not less than 20L/min, where the pH is maintained between 6.5 to 7.0; and where spears remain wet for five minutes after treatment; or
   2. hydro cooling treatment after packing at a minimum concentration at least 50ppm available chlorine, at a rate of not less than 20L/min, where the pH is maintained between 6.5 to 7.0; and where the spears remain wet for five minutes after treatment; or
   3. enters Victoria in accordance with a permit issued by Agriculture Victoria. To apply for a permit visit the Plant biosecurity permit page.
2. In the case of seeds, crowns, ferns and soil enters Victoria in accordance with a permit issued by Agriculture Victoria. To apply for a permit visit Plant biosecurity permit.

Documentation requirement: PHC, PHAC, Plant Health Declaration or Permit.

Any material originating from an area covered by an Area Freedom Certificate declaring that the area from which the host material originated is known to be free of red imported fire ants (RIFA) may enter Victoria without restriction, otherwise‐

the movement into Victoria of any earth or landscaping material (including potting media, organic mulch and composted animal manure), is prohibited unless:

1. consigned from a property which
   1. has been regularly inspected and found to be free of fire ants; or
   2. is subject to control methods to prevent the establishment or spread of fire ants; and
2. any earth and landscaping material including potting media, organic mulch and composted animal manure –
   1. was treated by ‐
      1. heating the entire mass to a minimum temperature of 65.5°C using steam or dry heat; or
      2. fumigating with a product containing 1000 g/kg methyl bromide, at the rate of 48 g/m³ at 21°C for at least 24 hours; or
      3. in the case of diagnostic samples, freezing to at least –20°C for not less than 24 hours; and
   2. was produced, stored, handled and consigned in such a manner that would prevent infestation or destroy all life stages of fire ants; and
   3. remains packed in the original sealed bag or container in which it was first commercially packed; and
3. processed by hammer milling where ‐
   1. the property has been inspected not less than seven days prior to consignment and found free of fire ant, and
   2. the material is –
      1. passed through a mesh of not more than 50 mm in size, and
      2. passed over a mesh of not more than 3 mm in size to remove small particulates, and
      3. immediately bagged into vacuum-sealed bags; and
      4. inspected at the rate of 1 in 50 bags to ensure they are properly sealed; and
4. a copy of the certification is forwarded to Agriculture Victoria at market.access@agriculture.vic.gov.au prior to despatch of the material; or
5. enters Victoria in accordance with a permit issued by Agriculture Victoria. To apply for a permit visit the Plant biosecurity permit page.

Documentation requirement: PHC, PHAC, BioSecure HACCP Health Certificate under ECCPRIFA21, Plant Health Declaration or Permit.

Verification Requirement:

Host material imported into Victoria which is required by to be accompanied by a certificate or declaration, must be –

(a) presented to an Inspector for inspection; or

(b) verified by a person accredited to do so by the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action.

Any landscaping material or soil originating from an area covered by an Area Freedom Certificate declaring that the area from which the host material originated is known to be free of electric ant enter Victoria without restriction, otherwise-

the movement into Victoria of any earth or landscaping material (including potting media, organic mulch and composted animal manure) is prohibited unless:

1. treated by;
   1. heating the entire mass to a minimum temperature of 65.5°C using steam or dry heat; or
   2. fumigating with a product containing 1000 g/kg methyl bromide, at the rate of 48 g/m³ at 21°C for at least 24 hours; or
   3. in the case of diagnostic samples, freezing to at least – 20°C for not less than 24 hours; and
2. be produced, stored, handled and consigned in such a manner that would prevent infestation or destroy all life stages of electric ants; and
3. remain packed in the original sealed bag or container in which it was first commercially packed; or
4. enters Victoria in accordance with a permit issued by Agriculture Victoria. To apply for a permit visit the Plant biosecurity permit page.

Documentation requirement: PHC, PHAC, Plant Health Declaration or permit.

Any earth material originating from an area covered by an Area Freedom Certificate declaring that the area from which the host material originated is known to be free of cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV) or originating from a State or Territory that is known to be free of CGMMV, may enter Victoria without restriction, otherwise‐

the movement of earth material, originating from properties on which plant or plant product from the family Cucurbitaceae have been grown, into Victoria is prohibited unless the earth material enter Victoria in accordance with a permit issued by Agriculture Victoria. To apply for a permit visit the Plant biosecurity permit page .

Documentation requirement: Permit.