Post Entry Plant Quarantine Fees and Charges
AQIS is required to recover 100 per cent of the cost of running its inspection and certification services.
AQIS charges
In the Government Post-Entry Plant Quarantine Program, there are three basic charge types:
- Care and maintenance of plants in quarantine (M² per day)
- Disease screening and/or testing
- Any other services relating to the management of plants in quarantine.
The following schedule sets out the AQIS charges applying to all plants and/or seeds undergoing post-entry quarantine at Commonwealth plant quarantine stations.
|
Sub-Category |
Description |
Unit |
Fee ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Care and maintenance |
M² per day—normal rate—for a plant or plants grown from imported seed |
M² |
4.00 |
| Care and maintenance | M² per day—normal rate—for any other plant or plants |
M² | 4.00 |
|
Care and maintenance |
M² per day—subsidised rate for high risk material |
M² |
2.65 |
| Care and maintenance | M² per day—normal rate—Prunus spp. plants for re-export to NZ | M² | 4.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fee-for-service |
In office inspection—per officer—¼ hour |
¼ hour |
40.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Overtime |
Overtime (weekday)—per officer—¼ hour |
¼ hour |
16.00 |
|
Overtime |
Overtime (weekday)—per officer—minimum overtime charge (any period up to 3 hours) |
minimum |
192.00 |
|
Overtime |
Overtime (non weekday including public holidays)—per officer—¼ hour |
¼ hour |
24.00 |
|
Overtime |
Overtime (non weekday including public holidays)—per officer—minimum overtime charge (any period up to 3 hours) |
minimum |
288.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Testing |
Microscopic examination |
Test |
80.00 |
|
Testing |
Electron microscopy |
Test |
120.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Testing |
Fungal identification |
Test |
120.00 |
|
Testing |
Bacterial identification |
Test |
170.00 |
|
Testing |
Nematode identification |
Test |
145.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Testing |
Serological testing—1 test |
Test |
120.00 |
|
Testing |
Serological testing—2 to 5 tests |
Test |
110.00 |
|
Testing |
Serological testing—6 to 10 tests |
Test |
95.00 |
|
Testing |
Serological testing—11 or more tests |
Test |
80.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Testing |
Molecular testing |
Test |
165.00 |
|
Testing |
Double stranded RNA testing |
Group of 10 or less tests |
765.00 |
|
Testing |
Any other biochemical testing |
Test |
170.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Testing |
Testing using herbaceous indicator plants |
Test |
90.00 |
|
Testing |
Testing using woody indicator plants |
Test |
170.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Testing |
Disease elimination by shoot tip culture |
Treatment |
1,270.00 |
|
Testing |
Disease elimination by heat therapy |
Treatment |
2,520.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Handling |
For testing services that AQIS has arranged to be provided at a facility not managed by AQIS —the test cost will be the fee charged by the facility. |
Handling fee |
10.00 Plus freight costs |
Charging guidelines
General
Where plants fail to establish in quarantine, or die prior to completion of the quarantine period, the appropriate square metre charge will continue to apply until the plants are removed or disposed of.
- Seeds that fail to germinate may be replanted once at no extra charge. However, the square metre charge will commence from the time of the first planting
- If the second planting fails, the importer has the option of further plantings or abandoning the batch
- If further plantings are requested, they will be charged at the in-office fee-for-service rate for the time involved in per planting, in addition to the normal care and maintenance charges.
The square metre per day charges (including the days plants/seeds enter and exit quarantine) will be billed at the end of each month. A final invoice will be prepared at the time the plants are released from quarantine.
- Other services provided to plants in quarantine (e.g. testing) will be billed as soon as completed.
The following schedule further explains the AQIS charges that apply to all plants and/or seeds undergoing post-entry quarantine at Commonwealth plant quarantine stations.
Square metre per day charge (normal rate)
The normal M²/day fee relates to any plant, plant part, or seed that is not categorised as high risk. Medium and low risk plants/seeds are those for which an Import Permit is necessary, and the permit requires that the plant material must perform a period of 3 months in quarantine. (Such plants are permitted to perform the quarantine at a Commonwealth or state government quarantine station, or at an AQIS approved private quarantine facility). This fee only applies to plant material at Commonwealth plant quarantine stations.
This fee applies to each square metre (or part thereof) of nursery floor or bench space occupied by the plants/seeds for each day they remain in quarantine. The fee incorporates all consumables and costs associated with the care and maintenance of the plants/seeds (e.g. electricity, water, potting medium and pots, insecticides and fertilisers), but does not include specific tasks performed by AQIS officers (e.g. budding and grafting, re-potting, hand pollination etc).
Square metre per day charge (high risk rate)
The high risk M²/day fee relates to all plants, plant parts, or seeds that are categorised as high quarantine risk. High risk plant materials are those that have the potential to carry significant exotic diseases, and therefore require a greater period of quarantine surveillance and additional diagnostic disease testing. High risk plant materials are those for which an import permit is necessary, and the permit requires that the plant material must perform a period of greater than 3 months in quarantine.
The high risk M²/day fee is less than the normal M²/day fee as it includes an off-set from the Australian government's 'anti-smuggling' subsidy. The anti-smuggling subsidy is targeted at reducing the incentive to illegally import high risk plant material due to the additional quarantine costs that would apply to such material.
This fee applies to each square metre (or part thereof) of nursery floor or bench space occupied by the plants/seeds for each day they remain in quarantine. The fee incorporates all costs associated with the care and maintenance of the plants/seeds (eg electricity, water, potting medium and pots, insecticides, fertilisers)
Note: Importers of high risk plant material will need to take into account the additional floor space that may be required at certain times whilst the material is performing quarantine. The following factors will affect the number of square metres occupied. This space is also subject to the M²/day charge:
- When establishing varieties, it is permissible to propagate more than two plants to ensure the survival of the variety. Additional floor space would be required for these plants.
- Normal growth of the plant/s or seeds may require re-potting into larger pots at certain times during the quarantine period—which will necessarily require additional floor space to accommodate.
- Certain diagnostic procedures require the use of indicator plants—which are used to express disease symptoms. Additional floor space is periodically required to accommodate these plants (in addition to the imported material).
Fee for service
Fee for service charges (in-office rate) will apply for the time spent by AQIS officers undertaking:
- re-potting
- hand pollination
- supervision—for activities conducted by importers (at the discretion of the quarantine station manager)
- grafting, budding
Diagnostic services provided to plants in quarantine
Microscopic examination
This fee applies in circumstances where magnification is required to identify or verify the presence of fungal or bacterial infection on plant material.
Electron microscopy
This fee applies in circumstances where magnification is required to assist in the identification of, or verify the presence of, viral infection on plant material.
Fungal identification
Fungal identification involves the laboratory growth (culturing) of fungal pathogens, microscopic examination of the culture, and identification—which includes searching published literature and comparing against fungal keys.
Bacterial identification
Bacterial identification is a similar process and involves the same steps as fungal identification.
Nematode identification
Nematode identification requires the isolation of nematodes through an extraction process, followed by a thorough microscopic examination of the residual material.
Serological testing
Serological (or ELISA) tests can be bulked up where several tests are to be performed on plant material from a common source and species, and depending on the number of tests to be conducted the cost for each test reduces as the number of tests increases.
The charges for these tests have been structured to take into account the number of tests that could be performed per test 'kit' as well as the time required to set up and analyse each test result.
Molecular testing
The fee for molecular (or PCR) tests incorporates the costs of chemical reagents, controls, replicates and analysis of test results. This fee will apply where the PCR test is a mandatory import requirement (as specified on the import permit). Where AQIS determines that a PCR test would provide a quicker or more accurate disease identification than other methods, it will be at the importer's discretion whether the test should proceed and the cost of the test incurred.
Double stranded RNA testing
Since up to 10 tests can be performed as part of the same service, the charge has been set at the rate for 10 tests. Importers may either have the tests performed separately on their own plant material, or may wait until the station has more tests to perform, and so pay only a proportion of the charge.
Where importers elect to wait, their importations will still accrue M²/day charges.
Any other biochemical testing
This fee will apply in circumstances where the required biochemical tests are not specified above. The fee would apply where new test methodology (or technology) is to be developed to meet specific test criteria.
Testing using herbaceous indicator plants
Tests that require the use of herbaceous indicator plants will be charged on the basis of each separate test conducted. For example, if an imported species required screening for 4 different diseases, then the charges that apply would be the specified fee times 4.
Testing using woody indicator plants
Tests that require the use of woody indicator plants will be charged on the basis of each indicator required. For example, imported peach varieties must undergo tests for 5 separate diseases, and therefore require 5 indicator plants (one for each test). The charges applied in this case would be the specified fee times 5.
Disease elimination by shoot tip culture
The charges applied to these services are reflective of the time involved in performing the work.
Disease elimination by heat therapy
The charges applied to these services are reflective of the time involved in performing the work.
The charge for heat therapy includes subsequent indexing to verify the success of the treatment, but not additional treatments if the first treatment fails.
Handling charges
A packaging and handling fee will be applied in cases where the required diagnostic services cannot be performed by AQIS and where the plant material or specimen must be forwarded to a non AQIS facility to perform the test/s. Any additional freight costs will also apply.
In such cases, any costs associated with performing the test will be applied by the facility where the test/s are performed.