Timber

Tips for minimising the quarantine risk of your timber

Importers can reduce delays when importing timber into Australia by ensuring that the timber is free of quarantine pests and diseases and ensuring that the timber is treated according to Australia’s import requirements. Attention to these requirements will assist clearance by quarantine and minimise the risk of dangerous exotic pests entering our country. A vital part of quarantine security is managing the risk of incursions of exotic pests and diseases by identifying and eliminating the risk before entering Australia.

What are the risks associated with commodity timber?

The quarantine risk of timber varies depending on the country of origin, species of tree, quality of the timber, treatments applied and degree of finishing of the timber. The better the quality of timber, the less likely the commodity is infested with quarantine pests. The common types of risks associated with timber are:

• Insects
• Pathogens (fungi, nematodes, viruses and bacteria, etc.)
• Bark which can provide a hiding place for insects and can trap moisture that helps fungal growth
• Soil that can harbour quarantine pests such as bacteria and snail eggs; and
• Other plant and animal materials such as leaves, insect/spider eggs.

Choosing good quality timber

Good quality timber has less chance of infestation or contamination when compared with low quality timber. Choosing good quality treated timber may help to minimise the risk of infestation or contamination. It is also helpful to have the timber carefully examined before shipment to ensure there are no obvious signs of insects or diseases (eg borer holes, frass, fungi etc).

Heat treatment

Dry timber with a moisture content of below 12 per cent does not provide suitable living conditions for green timber insects and fungi. You can reduce the risk of quarantine issues when your timber commodity arrives in Australia by ensuring that your timber commodity is kiln dried and kept dry during storage and shipping. Timber that reabsorbs moisture can become infested with quarantine pests such a blue stain fungi.

If you choose to heat treat without a moisture reduction, be aware that there is a risk of post treatment infestation as the timber is still green and attractive to green timber pests. See Australia’s Heat Treatment Standard at: AQIS Heat Treatment Standard — DAFF.

Fumigation

If you elect to use fumigation as a timber treatment, ensure that your treatment provider maintains the correct treatment dose of the fumigant and correct duration of the fumigation. This will ensure a successful treatment. Consider using a fumigator accredited under the Australian Fumigation Accreditation Scheme (AFAS) or an Approved Offshore Treatment Providers for Ethylene Oxide Treatment. See Australia’s Quarantine Treatments and Fumigants.

Be aware that without a moisture reduction there is a risk of post treatment infestation as the timber is still green and attractive to green timber pests.
Methyl bromide will only penetrate 100 mm (4 inches) from the surface into the timber within the fumigation time. Therefore, the timber requires spacers at a minimum of 5 mm thick every 200 mm in one dimension. It is important to use spacers to ensure effective circulation of methyl bromide around and throughout the timber commodity.

Timber over 200 mm in all dimensions must be imported under import conditions for logs or timber oversized. For details refer to Import Conditions (ICON).

Precautions you can take after your timber is treated

• Cover the timber
• Store in a clean storage area
• Keep timber segregated from other commodity to avoid re-infestation
• Avoid damp weather conditions inside the storage area.

For more information about importing wooden items:

View: Import Conditions (ICON) for specific timber information

Email: Timber Imports

Web: Timber

Contact the AQIS Timber and Timber Products National Co-ordination Centre: Phone +61 03 8318 6929 (9 am – 4 pm weekdays)