LORD HOWE ISLAND BOARD LORD HOWE ISLAND PLANT IMPORTATION STRATEGY MAY 2014 Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................. 2 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 3 2. Background ................................................................................................................................... 3 3. Objective ....................................................................................................................................... 5 4. Scope ............................................................................................................................................ 5 5. Legislation, Policy and Planning .................................................................................................... 6 6. Prevention, Preparedness, Response and Recovery .................................................................... 9 7. Process and Procedures .............................................................................................................. 11 8. Surveillance and Monitoring....................................................................................................... 17 9. Capacity ...................................................................................................................................... 18 10. Compliance ................................................................................................................................. 19 11. Increased Local Plant Production ............................................................................................... 21 12. Review and Evaluation ................................................................................................................ 21 13. Bibliography ................................................................................................................................ 22 Appendix 1 Plant Importation Policy ............................................................................................... 25 Appendix 3 Application Forms ......................................................................................................... 31 Appendix 4 Plants Prohibited from Import to Lord Howe Island ..................................................... 39 Appendix 5 Plants Permissible for Import to Lord Howe Island ...................................................... 47 Appendix 6 Plant Health Industry Standards and Certification ....................................................... 53 Appendix 7 Fungicide Treatment ..................................................................................................... 55 Lord Howe Island Board Plant Importation Strategy Page 1 of 56 Executive Summary The Lord Howe Island Plant Importation Strategy 2013 (the Strategy) aims to protect and mitigate against the risk of invasive plants and pathogens that may threaten the island’s biodiversity, agricultural capacity, health and well being and economy. The review of the Strategy is identified as a priority under the Lord Howe Biodiversity Management Plan 2007 and is an important component of the LHIB Quarantine Strategy 2003. The Strategy addresses the Lord Howe Island Board’s (LHIB’s) legislative and management responsibilities to protect the islands World Heritage values. The Strategy provides background information on the biosecurity risks associated with the importation plant and plant materials. The risk of the exotic fungus myrtle rust Puccinia psidii sens. lat. still remains high, despite Lord Howe Island (LHI) remaining myrtle rust free. Plants from the Myrtaceae family are prohibited from import, and risk management procedures apply for the import of other plants and plant materials. This Strategy applies to plants and plant materials (including cut flowers) that may be imported by sea freight, air, by post and in passenger luggage. Approval is required from the LHIB to import permissible species. This requires that an ‘Intent to Import Form and myrtle rust checklist’ to be submitted to the LHIB. Only plants or plant materials listed as permissible can be imported. New plant species not known on the island require a Weed Risk Assessment (WRA) to determine their potential to become a weed and ascertain their suitability for import. No application is required to import clean and packaged seeds of listed permissible species or any fruit and vegetables (except Myrtaceae) for consumption. Importation forms, lists of ‘permissible plant species’ and ‘prohibited plant species’ are provided in the appendices. The Strategy has limitations with the Boards capacity to intercept undeclared imports. Ongoing community engagement and consultation with the nursery and cut flower industry is required to increase awareness of the plant importation protocols pertaining to LHI. The strategy will remain adaptive to address new biosecurity risks associated with plant imports. Lord Howe Island Board Plant Importation Strategy Page 2 of 56 1. Introduction The Lord Howe Island Plant Importation Strategy 2013 (the Strategy) aims to protect Lord Howe Island (LHI) against the risks that may arise from introduced plants and pathogens entering, establishing and spreading on LHI. LHI is known to be free of many of the pests and diseases that occur on mainland Australia–and we intend to keep it that way. The Lord Howe Island Board (LHIB) has developed a Plant Importation Policy to guide the importation of plants and plant material to LHI (Appendix 1), which relies upon a science-based risk assessment process and establishes clear, consistent management objectives and elements to manage these risks. The LHIB Plant Importation Policy and Strategy 2013 were adopted by the Lord Howe Island Board at the May 2013 Board meeting subject to investigating options to “facilitate the importation of plants and reduce the financial burden on importers without markedly increasing the risk of disease”. A review of procedures and a risk assessment were undertaken to assess the risk of the introduction of myrtle rust Puccinia psidii to LHI. A list of recommended plant importation protocols to reduce the risk of myrtle rust was adopted by the Board in September 2013. The Plant Importation Policy (2013) adopts an Appropriate Level of Protection (ALOP) to deliver a high level of sanitary or phytosanitary protection aimed at reducing risk to a low level , but not to zero. To reduce the risk of introduction of myrtle rust from import of non myrtaceous nursery stock to LHI, an ALOP that achieves a moderate level of sanitary or phytosanitary protection has been adopted. These were based on careful consideration of the likelihood and consequences of pest introduction, and the implications of these restrictions on the community and trade on LHI. It acknowledges that myrtle rust could be imported through non plant material such as clothing or general freight that has been in contact with myrtle rust spore. The Plant Importation Policy and Strategy are based on the principle that the most cost-effective means of managing weeds, plant pests and pathogens is to prevent their introduction and establishment in the first instance. This requires a collaborative effort between the LHIB, Commonwealth and State government agencies, suppliers, transport companies and the community. 2. Background The introduction, establishment and spread of introduced plants and plant diseases present a major threat to the environment and economy of LHI (Biodiversity Management Plan 2007). LHI is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of new pest introductions due to its resident human population and associated trade/transport routes, its small size, long term geographic isolation and resultant finely adapted ecology. Weed invasion is identified as a major threat to the biodiversity of LHI, and affects all vegetation communities. The LHIB has developed a Weed Management Strategy (2006) which: a) Identifies the level of weed risk to LHI; and b) Provides a strategy for the eradication of at least 25 priority invasive species (based on threat) and recommendations for an adaptive and integrated approach to weed management. Over $ 4.5 million dollars (as of November 2013) has been invested towards the eradication of key weed species on LHI since the project commenced in 2004. There are 241 species of native vascular Lord Howe Island Board Plant Importation Strategy Page 3 of 56 plants on LHI, of which 115 (47%) are endemic and 10 are listed as threatened. Native plants are heavily outnumbered by introduced plant species, with over 670 introduced plants recorded from the island, of which 271 possess invasive attributes and are defined as exotic weeds in the LHI Biodiversity Management Plan 2007 (BMP). Many ornamental plants in gardens on LHI are recognised as sleeper weeds that are yet to demonstrate their invasive capacity in the local environment. Preventing the introduction of any new or potential weeds, pests and pathogens and targeting the removal of newly emerging sleeper weeds or plant pathogens before they become established is cost effective and is critical to protecting the islands biodiversity, agriculture and tourism. To address the threat posed by plant imports, the LHIB initially adopted a LHI Plant Importation Policy in March 2004. This policy introduced: a) The requirement to obtain approval from the