The Head of Biosecurity at the Department of Agriculture , Water and the Environment ( DAWE ) , Lyn O’Connell , reminded the rural area of the threat posed by navigation vessels to national biosecurity this workweek . “ Around 500 non - commercial-grade sauceboat / yachts and 19,000 commercial-grade vessels go far in Australia each year and many of these have the potential difference to carry alien pests and diseases,”Ms O’Connell say on 27 May 2025 . An Asiatic gypsy moth ’s egg mickle was of late find during a everyday vessel inspection on a bulk carrier vessel arrive into Australia . Bulk carrier typically have a bun in the oven loose cargo include grains , ore , coal and even cementum .
by Gabrielle Stannus
The Asiatic gypsy moth ( Lymantria dispar asiatia ) is a National Priority Plant Pest , given the potential threat it dumbfound to growers of apples , pears , forestry and fruitcake , as well as production nurseries1 . Gypsy moth are strong-growing encroacher . Whilst Asian gypsy moth Caterpillar can spread via host plants and wind , adult females can fly up to 40 km , grant them to lay their testis on cargo , ships and aircraft , which may broadcast them internationally.2
“ The moth ’s Caterpillar provender on the leaves of more than 600 mintage of Tree , such as oak , birch , aspen , eucalyptus , holly , rose , fruit tree and ornamental works , ” allege Ms O’Connell , “ The spreading of alien blighter and diseases , like this moth and its larva , could have withering wallop on our factory farm and horticultural industry . ”
Onshore Biosecurity LevyHowever , this sentiment is at betting odds with the Federal Government ’s recent decision not to proceed with its proposedOnshore Biosecurity Levy . In 2017 , an independent panel recommended that funding for the national biosecurity system be increase through several measures , to better share the costs with the risk creators . These measures included , but were not limited to , the effectuation of a per - container levy on incoming shipping container of $ 10 per twenty - base equivalent whole and a levy of $ 5 on incoming air containers .
Full meaning DeclarationsThis jury alternatively commend that the Federal Government could affix the burster on Full Import Declarations ( FIDs ) with a levy to collect a similar amount to the proposed container charge . Information provided to this panel by the Australian Government Department of Immigration and Border Protection was that there were around 4.1 million FIDs in 2015 - 16 . Therefore , the levy en masse required would need to be in the orderliness of $ 10 per FID4 . However , before deciding to go on with such a chemical mechanism , DAWE should depend to our nearest neighbour to see whether their experience of a biosecurity levy en masse on imports could be replicate here .
New Zealand ’s Biosecurity System Entry LevyNew Zealand have had an onshore biosecurity levy en masse in place for snug to a X . “ TheBiosecurity System Entry Levy(BSEL)Order 2010recovers Biosecurity New Zealand ’s costs associated with the headroom of import trade good at the border , ” a interpreter for the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries ( MPI ) tell , “ The BSEL is collected on all imported goods that have an meaning entry or equivalent certification lodged with NZ Customs . ”
The MPI interpreter aver that the BSEL is used to cover the price of :
Biosecurity New Zealand claims that charging importers is appropriate because they produce the biosecurity peril that services fund by the BSEL are design to manage . importer are also the direct donee of the divine service that permit them to bestow their goods into New Zealand . charge the importer also plunk for efficiency , as it provide incentives for importers to take step to reduce endangerment , which avoids extra inspection charges . This is just as it ensures that those that benefit more and create more risk pay more of the costs3 .
Who is paying now?Here in Australia , the Greenlife Industry is practice to sharing our lading of the interior biosecurity province . The industriousness has invested in overabundance of $ 5.7 million in biosecurity center projects including the National Nursery Industry Biosecurity Program ( NY15004 ) and the Improving Pest Management for the Nursery Industry ( NY17009 ) projection and in funding reception plans including Tomato Solanum tuberosum psyllid , Citrus canker sore , Banana freckle and Brown Marmorated stink bug . Greenlife Industry Australia is also a signatory to theEmergency Plant Pest Response Deed ( EPPRD ) , a formal legally bind correspondence between Plant Health Australia ( PHA ) , the Australian Government , all state and territory governments and national plant industriousness body signer . This deed covers the management and financial backing of reply to EPP incidents , including the potential for owner reimbursement price for growers . 0.25 % of the Nursery Levy is funnelled into plant health to help fund these responses .
Greenlife Industry AustraliaGreenlife Industry Australia believe that jeopardy Jehovah and hazard donee should contribute more full to the cost of risk management measures in proportion to the peril they produce and/or benefit they make headway . A serious biosecurity incursion , such as that posed by the Asian gypsy moth , via imports not associate with our manufacture could cost Greenlife businesses greatly . These costs could let in loss of sale revenue due to loss of admittance to markets ( national or external ) , or because of lower merchandise timbre and/or higher costs of production . We will therefore continue to work with the Federal Government to find alternative mechanisms to ensure that importers bring in products that place other industry at peril deal the fiscal province for national biosecurity .
1 . Plant Health Australia 2019,National Plant Biosecurity Status Report 2018[JM1 ] , Canberra , ACT , viewed 30 May 2025,https://www.planthealthaustralia.com.au / wp - content / uploads/2019/08 / National - Plant - Biosecurity - Status - Report-2018.pdf(p50 )
2 . Department of Agriculture , Water and the Environment , Gypsy moth ( Lymantria spp . ) , look at 16 January 2025,https://www.agriculture.gov.au / pest - diseases - weeds / flora / alien - gypsy - moth#keep - gypsy - moth - lymantria - spp - out - of - Commonwealth of Australia
3 . Biosecurity New Zealand 2019,Investing in Protecting the Border Proposals to Update Cost Recovery for New Zealand ’s Biosecurity System , Biosecurity New Zealand Discussion Paper No : 2019/01 , Ministry for Primary Industries , catch 14 December 2024,https://www.mpi.govt.nz / dmsdocument/37922 - discourse - newspaper publisher - proposed - updates - to - biosecurity - cost - recovery - final - pdf
