Timber

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.

Any host 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 European house borer may enter Victoria without restriction, otherwise‐

the movement into Victoria of any host material must –

1. be treated –
   1. with a preservative specific for European house borer, and to a hazard class of H2 or greater as provided in the Australian Timber Preservation Standards (AS/NZS 1604 series); or
   2. by heating so that the core temperature at the product’s greatest thickness, remains at or above 56° C for more than 30 minutes, where treatment has occurred not more than 21 days prior to the host material’s arrival in Victoria; or
   3. in the case where the cross section measures less than 20 centimetres, with methyl bromide in accordance with the following table (*see table below) and where treatment has occurred within 21 days prior to the arrival in Victoria; and
2. in the case of structural pinewood, stored so as to prevent infestation:
   1. in a secure building, which has been inspected and approved by an authorised officer as being suitable for the purpose of excluding European house borer; or
   2. by fully wrapping in plastic film which is not ripped, torn or otherwise damaged; or
3. in the case of pallets, is sourced from a supplier approved under a scheme administered by Quarantine WA; or
4. enters Victoria in accordance with a permit issued by Agriculture Victoria. To apply for a permit visit the Plant biosecurity permit page.

'host material' means any pinewood, including pallets, packing materials and structural pinewood, but excluding items made only from reconstituted pinewood, any pinewood products made only of heartwood, any pinewood product less than 4 millimetres thick, or pinewood household articles and furniture imported by or on behalf of a person for the personal use of the person or a member of the persons household (e.g. moving household furniture).

'pinewood' means any wood from trees of the genera Abies (Mill), Picea (Mill), Pinus (L.), Araucaria (Juss) or Pseudotsuga (Carriere).

'structural pinewood' means any pinewood which is part of an existing building or is to be used in the construction of a building.

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

Any host plants 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 polyphagous shot-hole borer may enter Victoria without restriction, otherwise‐

the entry or importation into Victoria of any host plants with woody stems or branches that are greater than 2.0cm in diameter must:

1. be inspected at a rate of 2% or 600-units (whichever is greater) and found to be free of any signs or symptoms of polyphagous shot-hole borer infestation, and be consigned to Victoria within 7 days of inspection; or
2. be inspected at a rate of 2% or 600-units (whichever is greater) and found to be free of signs or symptoms of polyphagous shot-hole borer infestation and treated by cover spraying with bifenthrin in accordance with the approved APVMA label or permit for the control of polyphagous shot-hole borer every 4 weeks; and
3. a copy of the certification is forwarded to Agriculture Victoria at market.access@agriculture.vic.gov.au prior to dispatch of the material; 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.

‘host plants’ means any plant listed below.

Any timber 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 polyphagous shot-hole borer may enter Victoria without restriction, otherwise‐

the entry or importation into Victoria of any timber must:

1. be inspected at a rate of 2% or 600-units (whichever is greater) and found to be free of any signs or symptoms of polyphagous shot-hole borer infestation, and be consigned to Victoria within 7 days of inspection; or
2. be treated by -
   1. fumigation with methyl bromide at a rate of-
      1. 10^oC - 15.9^oC @ 64g/m³ for 24 hours; or
      2. 16^oC - 20.9^oC @ 56g/m³ for 24 hours; or
      3. 21^oC – 31.9^oC @ 48g/m³ for 24 hours; and
      4. where monitoring at regular intervals throughout the fumigation treatment to ensure minimum concentration is maintained at the following rates; or
         
         

         Starting temperature and dosage			Minimum concentration (g/m3) at:
         Temperature	Dosage (g/m3)	2 h	4 h	12 h	24 h
         10°C – 15.9°C	64	48	42	36	32
         16°C – 20.9°C	56	42	36	32	28
         21°C or above	48	36	31	28	24

   2. heat treatment, where the temperature of the core of the timber is measured at a minimum of 56°C for at least 30 minutes; and

3. a copy of the certification is forwarded to Agriculture Victoria at market.access@agriculture.vic.gov.au prior to dispatch of the material; 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.

‘timber’ meanswood (round or sawn, with or without bark) of any host plant including firewood and woodchips where the chips are greater than 2.5cm, excepting seasoned timber.

‘seasoned timber’ means timber or wood including construction and fencing materials, and furniture that has been-

• dried, or
• treated to a hazard class of H2 or greater as provided in the AS/NZS 1604 series ‘Specification for preservative treatment’.

‘host plants’ means any plant listed below.

Any agriculture equipment 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 polyphagous shot-hole borer may enter Victoria without restriction, otherwise‐

the entry or importation into Victoria of any agricultural equipment (including any vehicle, equipment or other mechanical apparatus of any kind that has been used in relation to host plants and timber) must:

1. be cleaned free of host material by –
   1. brushing; or
   2. high pressure water; or
   3. steam; and
2. be inspected and found free of host material and polyphagous shot-hole borer; and
3. a copy of the certification is forwarded to Agriculture Victoria at market.access@agriculture.vic.gov.au prior to dispatch of the material; 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.

‘timber’ meanswood (round or sawn, with or without bark) of any host plant including firewood and woodchips where the chips are greater than 2.5cm, excepting seasoned timber.

‘seasoned timber’ means timber or wood including construction and fencing materials, and furniture that has been-

• dried, or
• treated to a hazard class of H2 or greater as provided in the AS/NZS 1604 series ‘Specification for preservative treatment’.

‘host plants’ means any plant listed below.