Conservation Minister Senator Ian Macdonald said today the removal of the potential weeds marked the end of the first stage of a major project to remove whole groups (genera) from the list of permitted seed imports.

"This is an important next step in protecting Australia's agriculture and environment from potential weeds," Senator Macdonald said.

The permitted seeds list (Schedule 5 of the Quarantine Proclamation 1998) has been amended to reflect the completion of stage one of the review. The Australian Government announced earlier this year that Biosecurity Australia would accelerate the review of the permitted seeds list.

Biosecurity Australia consulted widely on a list of 4,000 species recorded as weeds overseas and not considered present in Australia. The Cooperative Research Centre for Australian Weed Management prepared the list for the Worldwide Fund for Nature.

Following the consultations, Biosecurity Australia determined 3,335 species on the list were not present in Australia. Australia will permit imports of these species only if a weed risk assessment determines their weed potential in Australia is low.

"The review will enhance Australia's favourable pest and disease status by ensuring Australia does not import known weedy species," Senator Macdonald said.

"The second stage of the review will remove genus-level listings from the permitted seeds list (Schedule 5 of the Quarantine Proclamation 1998). This means Australia will target individual plants rather than groups of plants."

Biosecurity Australia is preparing information for consultations during the second stage of the review.

The second stage of the review will involve extensive consultation with over 400 stakeholders including the WWF, Australian Seeds Federation and the CRC for Australian Weed Management, as well as research to determine =
which species in over 2900 currently permitted genera are present and/or commonly traded in Australia.

"I expect the complete review of the permitted genera to be finalised by the end of next year," Senator Macdonald said.

Further information on the permitted seeds list review is available on the web site www.daff.gov.au/biosecurityaustralia

i am a new member. i have been enthusiastic about cacti and succulents for many years , however it is only recently that i have come out of my shell to start collecting. i see on ebay seeds and plants for sale overseas . i am reluctant to buy as i am conscious of quarantine laws and do not wish to import something that would be a pest or dangerous . how can i know whether that which is on sale is safe and legal to import. if i buy and the plant arrives in aust does it automatically get quarantened /destroyed or delivered. i am most anxious to iport the odd plant or seed . how do i go about it. the schedule in the proclamation you refered to might not give me the name of the plant or at least i may not recognize the name being such a novice. can you help me

On top of this, AQIS have no idea what they are doing. I have found out that they have no idea of what they are dealing with. A guy I know, last year imported, quite legally, a large quantity of Ariocarpus from a Nursery in Malta. All the paperwork was in order, but while they took their time to check the papers, they put the plants in the cold room, along with the imported 'fresh' flowers. He didn't find out about this for nearly 3 weeks. Nearly half of the plants failed to recover - they basically froze to death.

At the moment most cactus seed are still OK, but I doubt if that will last for very long. They appear to be heading in the direction of "if it is exotic, it must constitute a threat. Therefore ban it!"

Fof

The high fees are no doubt a deterent to dip SH#TS like you from making conservation workers, land managers and farmers lives more of a misery than they already are.

And the answer is YES. Watsonia is regularly cleared from public land and is required (by law) to be cleared from private land in Victoria. Councils, Melbourne Water, Vic DSE, Vic DPI, Parks Victoria and many other government bodies are particularly active in erradicating this and the countless other exotic weeds from public land. And I am regularly involved in perforing the spray work.

If you pulled your head out of your AR$E and looked beyond your backyard you would find that Australia is far from being a desert even without all the exotic crap that imbiciles like you want to bring into the country.

If you like these exotic menaces so much and hate Australian plants so much then why don't you F$#K off overseas and enjoy (and don't let the door hit your a$#se on the way out).

It is rapidly bringing this country to the brink if environmental and economic ruin. To government bodies like AQIS, DPI and DNRE/DSE I say "Good on you guys sink the boot in to so called Australians like RugbyLeagueSocks".

Greg you seem to consider that because I like to grow a particular family of plants, then I am anti the native bush. That I find somewhat offensive. That is totally incorrect.

In your email to me you as good as state that the nusery trade and specialist growers were to blame for all the exotic weeds in Astralia, including "Particularly to a NSW site detailing the disaster of Prickly Pear in the 1950's.

Facts:
1) The prickly pear was introducted in the 18th century to create a Cochineal industry, using the Cochineal Insect which likes on Prickly Pear. An ecological disaster, but not the fault of nursery or grower. They are now a prohibited weed - I have no problems with this.

However, this does not mean that all cacti are potential noxious weeds. Apart from the P.P. there is not one record anywhere in Australia of cacti going feral.

All of the noxious weeds we have in Australia are the direct fault of farmers, Government Bodies, and the 'average gardener'letting them escape.

My gripe with AQIS is the ridiculous fees that they charge for licensing, permits and quarantine. We all realise the importance of these measures, but at these prices?

Fof

If you agree with the treatment of animal imports then it is entirely logical and about time that plant imports are treated with the same extreme suspicion (with respect to plant diseases and weediness). After all exotic plants pose an equal threat to the environment and agriculture as exotic animals e.g. aquarium fishes and our water ways.

The only difference is that the risk that plants pose is a long term one and may not become apparent for decades, particularly in respect to weediness.

So I am advocating that all exotic plants, not already in Australia, should be treated with suspicion until it is proven beyond doubt that they do not pose a weed or disease risk. And this should be done at the importers expense. If that results in stepping on a few toes like yours then tough.

The human induced stress on the environment and local ecological is well beyond the point where we have the luxury of catering for exotic plant lovers and living with the occasional FU*$ ups where some of their plants escape as environmental weeds.

Deterent fees should continue in order to discourage average nuff nuffs, who have no comprehension of what they are doing and risking, from importing anything they feel like. We need to cater for the lowest common denominator.

His ideal Australia would be that we all must grow 'the local natives', what right have you got to suggest such cr@p?

Like it or not, people will continue to smuggle plants into the country because of the bullsh1t red tape and 'control' by idiots like you are putting on gardeners and growers! Get real!

Fortunately the those in a positions of power have the intellectual capacity to comprehend the threat that exotic plants can pose and respond accordingly.

And for the record an not an advocate of people being forced to grow only local native plants. I in fact use other Australian native plants, that I know from my own experience or that of other professional in the conservation sector, are not invasive any where else in Australia, e.g. Lomandras and Lechenaultias.

Have your cultivated roses and those exotic plants that have a proven track record of not being invasive. I.E. Plants that are not our will not impose a financial burden on farmers (and therefore consumers) and government land managers (and therefore tax payers)

But I think that those exotic species that have a proven track record of invasiveness in Australia or overseas should not be permitted for the greater good.

And I would also like to point out that farmers have been unfairly blamed for the current burden of environmental weeds in this thread. Sure they have been responsible for introduction of some environmental and noxious weeds is times gone by. Fortunately most of them also have the 'smarts' not repeat the mistakes of the past since their livlihood depends on it.

The fact remains that the nursery/landscaping sector is responsible for unleashing around 70% of the several thousand environmental weed species currently in Australia. And many people in this sector do not have the 'smarts' to learn from past mistakes. They continue to make the same mistakes over and over again in pursuit of their personal fortune. Never spending any real time in the natural environment, unlike farmers and land managers, has much to do with this failure to learn.

Essentially, as most of you know and accept, AQIS is a complete and utter waste of time and resources. ;)

the most irritating thing about aqis, customs and quarantine in general is their false guise and pseudo role of protecting australia's enviroments, ecosystems, flora and fauna. i hate to break it to them, but the majority of environments are ALREADY screwed and have been so for so many decades. and the worst species to introduce to an ecosystem in us! the irreparable damage we cause to environments far outweights that possible by any other spesies.

In the case of cacti, and doubtless other plants as well, newly discovered species and newly developed cultivars, forms, hybrids etc. often initiate a sort of worldwide mania amongst collectors of that respective plant family in a quest to obtain a specimen of a new special very rare plant. why should australia's growers be deprived of this opportunity? because we happen to have an uptight importation dictatorship with a draconian attitude to plant imports?
as a result of the ignorant attitude exhibited by aqis many choice species of cacti are very rare in this country and can fetch hundreds of dollard a piece. the very same plant in many countries overseas is worth not nearly as much due to often more relaxed attitude to plant importation.

another thing i detest is aus quarantines' hypocritical actions. they declare many species of cacti 'not permitted' to import (including rather inappropriately some extremely slow groing species)
here is a classical case study of their ignorance: Pereskia aculeata.
this is one of the few cactus species that HAS actually become a pest species in australia in some localised areas. aqis actively discourage its cultivation in my state(and likely others too), yet, remarkably, are yet to actually declare it an illegal import. You would expect, given their reputation, to declare importation of this plant in any way shape or form illegal immediately. but NO. in fact, it is perfectly legal to import seeds and even live plants of this deemed 'invasive' species. AQIS also in their infinite wisdom had the wise, ever appropriate foresight to quickly ban all OTHER members of this genus, the vast majority of which do not pose any threat at all. as a further demonstration of their intellect, many of their pest profile propaganda documents regarding this 'weed' species contain images of a non-invasive cultivar thereof which is comparatively slow growing and poses no threat at all, effectively demonstrating an inability to differentiate between two different plants and giving a rather dubious impression on their credibility. ;)

ultimately, as stated abve, the stricter they become the more plant smuggling is encouraged. so don't worry people they can't win. unless they ban importation of all forms of parcels into the country you can get anything through. and of course under the current regime name changes can be organised on the other end. in any case seeds are relatively difficult to intercept;)
have fun,

In your email to me you as good as state that the nusery trade and specialist growers were to blame for all the exotic weeds in Astralia, including "Particularly to a NSW site detailing the disaster of Prickly Pear in the 1950's.

Facts:
1) The prickly pear was introducted in the 18th century to create a Cochineal industry, using the Cochineal Insect which likes on Prickly Pear. An ecological disaster, but not the fault of nursery or grower. They are now a prohibited weed - I have no problems with this.

However, this does not mean that all cacti are potential noxious weeds. Apart from the P.P. there is not one record anywhere in Australia of cacti going feral.

All of the noxious weeds we have in Australia are the direct fault of farmers, Government Bodies, and the 'average gardener'letting them escape.

My gripe with AQIS is the ridiculous fees that they charge for licensing, permits and quarantine. We all realise the importance of these measures, but at these prices?

Fof
-----------------------------------------------------------
Fof something of the order of 70% of all Australia's noxious and environmental weeds have been introduced by the horticulture sector. This includes commercial nurseries, home gardeners, agriculture and collectors etc.

It is estimated that there are now more exotic plant species present in Australia than there are endemic plant species due to the activities of this sector over the past 200 years.

It is estimated that noxious and environmental weeds are costing the Australian economy at least $4 billion annually in control and erradication, lost agricultural production and increased costs to agricultural production.

Councils, government departments and farmers have a statutory requirement to control noxious weeds on land that they manage. And the lists of noxious weeds across Australia are steadily growing.

The former garden ornamental plant Blue Periwinkle (Vinca major) is a very recent addition to the noxious weed list in VIC while Gamba Grass is a recent addition to the list in QLD.

If you are unable to comprehend that we have a major economic and environmental problem then, quiet frankly, you need your heads read.

The problem is that there are 10s of thousands of others like you who desperately want to add that next fanatastic plant to their collection. On top of that there is always another commercial nurseryman who wants to cash in on the latest and greatest plant from god knows where.

Out of all these collectors and nurserymen and home gardeners illegally importing seeds into Australia via the post it is inevitable that enviromental weeds (future noxious weeds) steadily flow into the Australian environment.

It is not before time that governments have made the decision that the 'needs' of the environment and the economy and agriculture out weigh the 'wants' of individuals.

No doubt there are many cacti and other exotic plants can be safely grown in Australia.

But the problem is that laws must cater for the lowest common denominator (e.g. neomexi) with poor science education and absolutely no ecological savy.

hmm 'poor science education'.. i happen to be a biology and environmental science student. ;)

Who has a great deal to learn.

I a have a Bachelor Science from the University of Melbourne along with a Graduate Diploma in Computer Science from Latrobe University, a partial Certificate IV in Conservation & Land Management and several years experience in the conservation / weed control sector. I am far from an uneducated grunt or a first year (or what ever)
student with no practical knowledge or experience.

Several years ago I was just as ignorant about the issue of environmental weeds as you are sweet heart or sonny.

You have much to learn. Or perhaps you choose not to learn anything that brings into question your own interests.

I do not think that people should only be permitted to grow local native plants. I myself grow a range of Australian native plants from other parts of Australia that I know have no track record of being invasive in the Melbourne region. Those Aus natives that do have a track record of being invasive I do not grow despite the fact that I do like some of them, e.g. Soyalla heterophylla.

But the chances of exotic species becoming environmental weeds in Australia is much higher due to fundamental differences between soil organisms and insects etc, that a act as control vectors for different plant species, on different continents.

The risk is magnified even further with plant species that grow in arid climates similar to Australia.

It is access to these species that should be severely restricted. And it upsets people like neomexi then tough titties.

The interests of the nation, environment, economy, tourist sector and agriculture out weigh the interests of plant collectors.

Posted by neomexi vic (My Page) on
Fri, Nov 7, 08 at 4:47

hi, i just joined..i collect cacti in vic. and i have imported seeds. (OMFG!!..apologies for being a terrorist).
Essentially, as most of you know and accept, AQIS is a complete and utter waste of time and resources. ;)

From Garden Web Australia Forums: http://www.au.gardenweb.com/forums/load/cacti/msg0701500031239.html?20

Is this an admission of breaching Australia's quarentine laws?

Are you able to use your contacts within government circles to have this person identified and referred to the relevant AQIS authorities?

i will admit, however, like so many other collectors of various plant types, that i have imported seeds into aus in the past, though only using legal means for importing Permitted Species in very small quantities. i did read the relevant legal details at AQIS ICON beforehand and adherred to it accordingly. Which, effectively, as far as i can see, does not incriminate me in any way shape or form. ;)

quote:
-----------------------------------------------------------
The risk is magnified even further with plant species that grow in arid climates similar to Australia.
It is access to these species that should be severely restricted. And it upsets people like neomexi then tough titties.
-----------------------------------------------------------
oh dear, i am terribly sick of this view. its a sad fact that old habits die slow. it is typical of the uninformed to generalise. here is stimulus generalisation at its' worst. a classic example of this is the banning of ALL cacti in Queensland in the past. i'm sure you are very aware of the prickly pear (Opuntia stricta) invasion in queensland etc.(now synonymous with one of most successful biological controls in the form of cactoblastus cactorum etc etc). The government figured out what the appropriate course of action should be from the prickly experience and quickly proceeded to ban all cacti (yep..approximately all 2000 other species) from the state. (i assume this is also where your misguided generalisation also stems). A few of the cacti of the genus Opuntia are indeed exceptionally vigorous to the point of being weedy, i agree 100% with this observation, that a few species, O.stricta included, of the two hundred plus species in this genus actually are weedy. however this does not mean ALL Opuntia spp. are bad, and certainly not all cacti nor all plant species that happen to grow in arid climates for that matter either..? in fact all members of the Opuntia genus are still illegal to this day in queensland. i may not have the enlightenment of the educational degrees you have received but i realise and strongly believe that quarantine should work with, not against, private growers of cacti and succulents and their accompanying societies (i guess the same applies for all plants for that matter) in an effort to ensure that relevant steps are taken to identify what actually poses weed risks and what does not. this has not happened in the past. ignorance have declared many desirable species not permitted entry (and on the contrary several weed species permitted! eg. pereskia aculeata *rolls eyes*) if importation laws are relaxed for the appropriate species then collectors will be content (its a convenient coincidence that most weedy species are not highly regarded by the majority of collectors and the most desirable ones pose very minimal risk indeed) and there will be a subsequent reduction in illegal plant importation levels with all its negative risks and consequences which you appear to be very familiar with. as mentioned before, intensifying restrictions only increases the problem. (basic economics- supply versus demand..collectors want that new ultra rare specimen that is available overseas to add to their collection and will go to any means necessary to achieve so). ultimately relations on both sides will improve too.

personally, like a collector of cacti and i'm sure many like-minded individuals will concur, i would actually love to see the day when the outback is overrun by fields of Ariocarpus, Pelecyphora and Aztekium spp. fortunately for people like you greg (if you are that way inclined- i.e.pro natives) it will not happen, (no.. don't worry, not due to quaratine regulations :) ), because these rare choice plants- so highly prized and sort after by collectors- grow at an exceedingly slow rate of a few millimetres per year and are difficult to grow and in some cases can take 30 years to reach flowering size and take several years before any growth is visible. also many grow in specialised soil conditions seldom replicable outside their natural range and exist in isolated and often threatened localities in the wild.
control of these plants is entirely superfluous and regulations should be lightened IMO.

btw. i am not anti-native plants or anything. i just like what i collect.;)

"its a sad fact that old habits die slow"
Yes they do don't they - you are certainly testament to that. I am afraid that those with the view that they should be permitted to grow any plant they damn well please are a dieing breed in government and bureaucratic circles I am glad to say.

"this does not mean ALL Opuntia spp. are bad, and certainly not all cacti nor all plant species that happen to grow in arid climates for that matter either"
Perhaps not but the Australian environment should be given the benefit of the doubt rather than plant collectors. All exotic plants, not already present, in the country should be assumed to be invasive until proven otherwise. That is the direction that governments are increasingly moving in.

"in an effort to ensure that relevant steps are taken to identify what actually poses weed risks and what does not. this has not happened in the past. ignorance have declared many desirable species not permitted entry "
Clearly you and many other collectors do not have the qualifications or field experience to unilaterally decide which exotic species you think are invasive under Australian conditions. That should be left up to the experts (hopefully) in AQIS and government departments. If their decisions have been inconsistent in the past then it is no doubt that the necessary expertise was yet to filter through the organisation. Hopefully AQIS officials take advice from relevant government departments when they lack the expertise themselves. For starters state noxious weed lists are available on the web and there is a wealth of weed information on www.weeds.org.au

"that most weedy species are not highly regarded by the majority of collectors and the most desirable ones pose very minimal risk indeed) "
You have already conceded that you lack the necessary education and experience so it is therefore not your place to make such assessments. You will not understand which exotic plants are invasive in your area until you have appropriate field experience. As opposed to sitting behind a desk or propagation bench.

"intensifying restrictions"
Intensifying restrictions and prosecutions also raise awareness about the issue. Unless we do this people like yourself will ignore us, ignore the issue and go on doing as they please. Which is what you would undoubtedly prefer. Well sorry but we will not oblige you.

"personally, like a collector of cacti and i'm sure many like-minded individuals will concur, i would actually love to see the day when the outback is overrun by fields of Ariocarpus, Pelecyphora and Aztekium spp."
This demonstrates just how utterely ignorant you are in all things ecological. If that is the case then I hope you are happy to see the extinction of sugar gliders, bilbies, dunnarts, quolls, wallabies and wombats etc that depend on the native ecosystems that your cacti will replace.
Government land managers, whose opinions actually matter, do not concur with you.
And if I see any such plants in bushland I thoroughly enjoy tearing them up and sending them to land fill or giving them a good dose of 1:20 Garlon and watch them shrivel up!

There are a great many Australian and overseas visitors that enjoy seeing our very own wildflowers rather than your bloody cacti.

"i am not anti-native plants or anything. i just like what i collect."
Good for you. But keep them to your self. Most Australians do not want to see the out back etc overrun with exotic succulents.

""this does not mean ALL Opuntia spp. are bad, and certainly not all cacti nor all plant species that happen to grow in arid climates for that matter either"
Perhaps not but the Australian environment should be given the benefit of the doubt rather than plant collectors. All exotic plants, not already present, in the country should be assumed to be invasive until proven otherwise. That is the direction that governments are increasingly moving in."

Just how do I prove that it is not a "bad" plant if I can't get it in, to begin with? Is the government so willing for its gardeners to go overseas and spend years growing certain plants so they can "prove" that they're not bad weeds for Australia... ???
geez, I thought you only call them bad *after* the fact... not before.

If you dont believe me just think how many pathogens & weed seeds could be in a KG of exotic soil? now have a look at how much soil you are allowed to have on your shipping containers as 'splash" or how much you are allowed to have as acceptable level of contamination in a shipment of 32000 kg of grass seed. do the math & think about the shear volume of imports yearly. if this doesnt scare you, you must have balls of steal!

yes aqis's fee's do encourage smuggling, which is just how it is. they need to cost recover after citrus canker, fire ants & EI after all.

A vast number of collectible spp are permitted imports (even quite a few that are weedy they must be ok because they are permitted imports.)

http://www.aqis.gov.au/icon32/asp/ex_querycontent.asp use the end use - seeds for sowing

realistically there arent that many spp that are prohibited apart from the opuntias, & many of the prohibited ones have been here for decades anyway, long before the current rules came in (AQIS only covers stuff coming in from OS & export not domestic)

If your scared by the prospect of another prickly invader just consider what will happen when we get guava rust? You cant see it till the infection is well advanced & it will attack nearly 1/4 of our native flora. try fighting that. the only reason we dont have it is shear luck, just like sugar can smutt/ opps sorry we have that now.
We are more likely to have the next "big incursion" as a contaminate rather than a deliberate introduction.