The consultation period for this draft Import Risk Analysis has now closed, the draft will now be finalised and published on the Finalised Import Risk Analyses web page.
Myrtle rust (Austropuccinia psidii) is a plant pathogen and is currently a Declared Pest of biosecurity concern under the Biosecurity Regulations 2022. The plant pest has been subject to biosecurity control since 16 July 2010, through restrictions on the import of all plant material from the Myrtaceae family. This included restrictions on the import of live plants, fruit, seed, tissue culture, cut flowers, foliage and stems.
Myrtle rust was detected in NSW during April 2010 and in the following five years became established along most of East coast of mainland Australia. Subsequently, an incursion of myrtle rust was reported for the first time in Tasmania on 19 February 2015. Upon diagnostic confirmation of the presence of myrtle rust in Tasmania a major emergency plant pest response was started. This response was undertaken by Biosecurity Tasmania and focused on eradicating the disease from Tasmania, taking place statewide.
In Tasmania, the disease was mainly detected on Lophomytrus x ralphii (a common garden plant) specifically in the NW of the state. The emergency response ran for two consecutive summers, before the disease was deemed non-eradicable and the response stood down.
Since then, myrtle rust infection in Tasmania has remained largely confined to Lophomyrtus cultivars, with only 3 reports from three introduced (exotic) Myrtaceous hosts other than Lophomyrtus. The disease has not been reported from any native Myrtaceous host in Tasmania, even though a number of these species are reported to be susceptible to the disease.
Pest Risk Analysis
When myrtle rust was first detected in Tasmania a pest profile was created to assess the risk of the pathogen to Tasmania. This initial pest profile has now been revisited and converted into a formal Import Risk Analysis (IRA). The IRA is a very detailed technical document on the characteristics and risk profile of myrtle rust as a biosecurity threat to the Tasmanian environment and economy. A number of recommendations are made within the document on how best to manage and minimise the risk of myrtle rust to Tasmanian into the future, these being:
Recommendation 1:
Re-declare myrtle rust a Restricted Pest of concern for Tasmania under the Biosecurity Act 2019, as its Unrestricted Risk Estimate (URE) has been risk assessed to exceed Biosecurity Tasmania’s Appropriate Level Of Protection (ALOP) of ‘Very Low’ risk for two major pathways of biosecurity concern into Tasmania.
Recommendation 2:
Introduce a new Import Requirement (IR 47: Myrtle Rust - Hosts and Vectors) into the Plant Biosecurity Manual Tasmania (see Appendix 8 of this IRA), to continue regulating the trade of ‘at risk’ Myrtaceous plant matter into Tasmania.
Recommendation 3:
Review IR 47 to ensure it is fit for purpose every 5 years from the date of its first declaration and introduction into the Plant Biosecurity Manual Tasmania.
DRAFT Import Risk Analysis for Myrtle Rust (PDF 2Mb)