Plant biosecurity within Australia is complex. The Northern Territory, Western Australia and Tasmania each have stringent regulations governing the movement of plants across their borders.
As a result, there are certain plants we cannot send to WA and Tasmania. Due to very limited demand and particularly challenging and costly quarantine requirements, we do not service the Northern Territory.
Many east coast nurseries choose not to supply WA and Tasmania because of the regulatory complexity and the standards required.
We have made the decision to meet those requirements so we can continue servicing customers in those states. Over the years we’ve received many requests to do so, and since beginning interstate certification we’ve also received many sincere expressions of appreciation.
To send plants to WA and Tasmania, we must annually renew our Interstate Certification Assurance (ICA29) accreditation. This program specifies strict operational procedures, including pre-dispatch treatments and the issuing of a Plant Health Assurance Certificate to accompany each order.
The certification requires treatment of all plant material with approved pesticides and fungicides prior to dispatch. Outside of these mandated treatments, we minimise agricultural chemical use in our operations.
All parcels sent to WA and Tasmania are inspected at the border (mail centre) before continuing to their destination. Inspection fees apply.
We hope this explains what we do — and why.
Many thanks to our valued customers across Australia who share our passion for home-grown fruit, open access to genetic diversity, and the conservation of heritage varieties.