Consultation on type of process for mushrooms
Letter as sent to stakeholders on 9 July 1998
T98/923
9 July 1998
Dear Stakeholder
In our letter of 14 May 1998, we advised you that the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) will conduct an import risk analysis (IRA) on the importation of fresh edible cultivated and wild collected mushrooms into Australia.
AQIS will conduct a risk analysis on this proposal using the import risk analysis (IRA) process outlined in the document Australian Quarantine - A shared responsibility: The Government Response. The purpose of this letter is to provide you with an opportunity to comment on the proposed approach to the risk analysis.
The process
AQIS considers that the risk analysis on the review of existing import protocols on the importation of fresh edible cultivated and wild collected mushrooms into Australia, as well as the risk analysis on wild collected species from other sources including Europe, North America and Japan, should be undertaken using the routine IRA process.
The steps for the routine and non-routine IRA processes are set out in Attachment 1.
Timeframe for completing the risk analysis
We estimate that the risk analysis will take approximately 12 months to complete using the routine process. If there are no unanticipated delays, we would expect the draft IRA paper to be released in December 1998. Stakeholders will be kept informed of any significant delays or variations to the proposed timeframe.
Request for comments
You are invited to comment on the proposal to conduct the IRA using the routine process. Your comments will be taken into consideration by AQIS in finalising its position on the type of process to be followed. AQIS will accept written submissions on this issue until the close of business on 10 August 1998. Responses should be forwarded to:
Risk Analysis Secretariat
Plant Quarantine Policy Branch
Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service
GPO Box 858
CANBERRA ACT 2601
Information relating to the identity of respondents and the substance of comments received may be made available to other respondents, and to third parties, unless a request for anonymity is made. Where a request for anonymity is not made, a respondent will be taken to have consented to the release of information for the purposes of Information Privacy Principle 11 under the Privacy Act 1988.
We look forward to receiving your response.
Yours sincerely
Digby Gascoine
Director
Policy and International Division