Register of Seed Importers and the Tasmania Approved Suppliers List (seed)

For more information on becoming registered on The List or The Register, please contact biosecurity.marketaccess@nre.tas.gov.au

The Register of Seed Importers, also known as ‘The Register’, recognises the capability and willingness of certain businesses, organisations and private importers to share responsibility for managing risks posed by weeds and diseases that may be introduced into Tasmania via small quantities of imported seed.

Tasmanian Approved Suppliers List (seed), also known as ‘The List’, is a list of Australian and overseas businesses and organisations that distribute seed in small quantities and which has production practices, quality control systems or other protocols that reduce the chance of weed seeds and disease being present in seed lots to a level acceptable to the Tasmanian Government.

The Register and the List are complementary. While anyone may import seed of 1kg or less without a Statement of Seed Analysis from an Approved Supplier on the List, the Register is for importers who wish to obtain seed from sources not on the List. The Register and the List operate together to help safeguard Tasmania from Declared Weed and disease incursions.

Importantly, the Register and the List also provide practical and efficient options for importers of small quantities of seed because the need for Biosecurity Tasmania to inspect the seed on arrival is substantially reduced. Apart from periodic verification (audit) inspections, seed obtained from an approved supplier or consigned to a registered importer will not generally be subject to examination by Biosecurity Tasmania for weed seed and disease presence. Conversely, seed imports of 1kg or less that do not originate from an approved supplier or are not consigned to a registered importer will be subject to examination and may subsequently be referred for laboratory testing, re-export or destruction.

While the List and the Register provide alternatives to the Statement of Seed Analysis, neither removes the obligation of importers of seed lots of 1kg or less to comply with all other conditions set out in IR36 and any other IRs where applicable.​

Stateme​nt of Seed Analysis

Import Requirement 36 – Seed for Sowing (IR36) of Tasmania’s Plant Biosecurity Manual sets out conditions that apply to all seed imported into Tasmania under the Biosecurity Act 2019. 

A condition in IR36 states that importers must provide a Statement of Seed Analysis, issued by an accredited seed testing laboratory, to Biosecurity Tasmania. The Statement must certify the seed as being free of species that are Declared Weeds in Tasmania. 

In some circumstances, obtaining a Statement of Seed Analysis for small quantities of seed may be difficult. The Register of Seed Importers (TRSI) and the Tasmanian Approved Suppliers List (seed) are two alternatives to a Statement of Seed Analysis available under IR36 to Tasmanian importers who wish to import seed (of a single line) in quantities of 1kg or less.

How to Register

For more information on becoming registered on The List or The Register, please contact biosecurity.marketaccess@nre.tas.gov.au

Registration: If the applicant is successful in applying to The List or The Register, they will receive a letter stating their approval status and registration number. The applicant must wait for confirmation of registration before sending small seed lots into Tasmania under IR36(II)(b).

Notice of Intention (NoI) requirements:  once registered on the List or the Register the business or individual must provide an NoI to noi.biosecurity@nre.tas.gov.au at least 24 hours prior to importation of small seed lots under 1kg into Tasmania. NoI forms can be found here.