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Pest Categorisation System

In mid-December 2011, Biosecurity e-Advisory 67/2011 - Plant Pests and Biosecurity Requirements, was issued to explain to registered biosecurity stakeholders, that Tasmanian plant biosecurity is now using a 'three tier' pest (& disease) categorisation system, when classifying the level of risk a given pest presents to the State.

When a potential quarantine pest is first risk assessed, a recommendation will be made whether the pest is:

1. A Regulated Quarantine Pest (RQP); or
2. An Unwanted Quarantine Pest (UQP); or
3. A Non-Quarantine Pest (NQP).

The selection criteria for each category of pest are fully described in Standard Operating Procedure No. 10 - Routine Import Risk Analysis (IRA) Methodology. The sections of the Act that each category of pest is declared is summarised as follows:

Context of Publication of Pests (& Diseases)

The Plant Quarantine Manual Tasmania (PQMTas) - 2014 Edition, was the first edition of the Manual to hold Tasmanian plant biosecurity published lists of both its Regulated Quarantine Pests (RQPs) and Unwanted Quarantine Pests (UQPs).

Tasmanian plant biosecurity's RQPs are its List A and B Pests and Diseases, published annually as required under Section 12 of the Act.

Generally, List A pests or diseases do not occur in Tasmania, whilst List B pests or diseases do occur in Tasmania, and are under some form of official control.

Tasmanian plant biosecurity's list of UQPs is provided below.

Please note that the Lists of pests and diseases can be modified at any time. Additional declarations may be made for pests or diseases that have been either:

1. newly declared; or
2. amended in scientific name; or
3. altered in terms of their List status (List A or B); or
4. revoked from the Lists.

Any pest declaration changes are normally notified to stakeholders through its online voluntary registry of biosecurity stakeholders.

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Regulated Quarantine Pest (RQP) List; Section 12 List A & B Pest and Diseases

Every year the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania is required by the Plant Quarantine Act 1997 to publish a list of all those organisms that have been "declared" either List A or List B pests or diseases under the Act.

Generally a List A pest or disease is a pest or disease that does not occur at all in Tasmania, whilst List B pests or diseases are ones that do occur in Tasmania and are restricted in their distribution or subject to biosecurity control programs.

  Section 12 - List A and List B Pests and Diseases   (678Kb)

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Unwanted Quarantine Pest (UQP) List

Unwanted Quarantine Pests (UQPs) are pests of intermediary concern, which are not officially regulated for through formal Import Requirement, unlike Section 12 List A & B pests (& diseases) which are Tasmania's 'Regulated Quarantine Pests' (RQPs - see Section 12 Lists separately online). UQPs are partially declared under the Plant Quarantine Act 1997, as described in Section 1.10 of the Plant Biosecurity Manual Tasmania (PBMTas). The risk that UQP's may present is managed through one or more regulatory levers or control points, such as:

• the biosecurity barrier; and/or
• Industry quality assurance programs; and/or
• targeted seasonal risk pathway specific barrier inspection programs.
• The UQP list of pests and diseases of biosecurity concern to Tasmania is maintained separately from the Section 12 List A & B pests (& diseases), as the latter RQP listing is formally required to be published annually under Section 12 of the Plant Quarantine Act 1977
• Compilation of this pest listing commenced in January 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: The great majority of UQPs are not present in Tasmania, but exceptions do apply such as pests present which vector important pests of regulatory concern which are not present, or hold a wide range of physiologic variation not present in the State.

    Tasmanian Unwanted Quarantine Pest Lists(627Kb)

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Pest Declarations Summary Table (since January 2006)

Since January 2006 a register has been maintained in the form of a summary table cross-index of pest declaration data, to catalogue each and every pest declaration change made by Tasmanian Plant Biosecurity as it manages its target listings of plant biosecurity pests of concern to the State. The summary table is a four way cross index, which cites all pest declaration changes in ascending order, first under the pests (and diseases) scientific name, second by its common name, third by its pest grouping, and fourth by its date of declaration.

  Summary of Tasmanian Quarantine Pest Declarations since January 2006   (859Kb)

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