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Amendments to import requirements for fresh fruit and vegetables from Australia

Update – 24 July 2023

Final import health standards released and review of submissions

Following the consultation that closed on 31 May 2023, we’ve released the amended import health standards along with the review of submissions.

Import health standard 152.02: Importation and Clearance of Fresh Fruit and Vegetables into New Zealand [PDF, 2 MB]

Import health standard: Commodity sub-class: Fresh fruit/vegetables Avocado, Persea americana from Australia [PDF, 152 KB]

Import health standard: Commodity sub-class: Fresh fruit/vegetables Capsicum (Capsicum annuum) from Australia [PDF, 300 KB]

Import health standard: Commodity sub-class: Fresh fruit/vegetables Cucumber, Cucumis sativus from Australia [PDF, 220 KB]

Import health standard: Commodity sub-class: Fresh fruit/vegetables Watermelon, Citrullus lanatus from Australia [PDF, 220 KB]

Review of Submissions: Amendments to import requirements for fresh fruit and vegetables from Australia [PDF, 7.1 MB]

 

Consultation background

From 10 May 2023 to 31 May 2023, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) sought feedback on:

  • adding new phytosanitary measures for fresh produce from Australia
  • extending existing market access for pumpkin from Australia to include butternut and squash.

The proposed changes to the import requirements affected these import health standards:

  • 152.02: Importation and Clearance of Fresh Fruit and Vegetables into New Zealand
  • Commodity sub-class: Fresh fruit/vegetables Avocado, Persea americana from Australia
  • Commodity sub-class: Fresh fruit/vegetables Capsicum (Capsicum annuum) from Australia
  • Commodity sub-class: Fresh fruit/vegetables Cucumber, Cucumis sativus from Australia
  • Commodity sub-class: Fresh fruit/vegetables Watermelon, Citrullus lanatus from Australia.

Summary of proposed changes

The changes affected only fresh fruit and vegetables from Australia and involved:

  • changing the pests and measures on capsicums
    • removing the fruit flies Bactrocera frauenfeldi, B. kraussi and B. musae from the pest list
    • adding low-dose methyl bromide fumigation as a treatment option, replacing the existing high-dose treatment
  • adding low-dose methyl bromide fumigation as a treatment option on capsicum, replacing the existing high-dose treatment
  • extending market access for pumpkin to include butternut and squash
  • adding "winter window plus in-field controls" as a measure for fruit flies on pumpkin, butternut, and squash
  • adding irradiation as a treatment option on avocado, cucumber, pear, watermelon, pumpkin, butternut, and squash.

Full details of the proposed changes were in the consultation documents.

Consultation documents

Risk management proposal: Amendments to the import requirements for fresh fruit and vegetables from Australia [PDF, 509 KB]

Draft IHS 152.02: Importation and Clearance of Fresh Fruit and Vegetables into New Zealand [PDF, 5.2 MB]

Draft IHS: Commodity sub-class: Fresh fruit/vegetables Avocado, Persea americana from Australia [PDF, 259 KB]

Draft IHS: Commodity sub-class: Fresh fruit/vegetables Capsicum (Capsicum annuum) from Australia [PDF, 394 KB]

Draft IHS: Commodity sub-class: Fresh fruit/vegetables Cucumber, Cucumis sativus from Australia [PDF, 346 KB]

Draft IHS: Commodity sub-class: Fresh fruit/vegetables Watermelon, Citrullus lanatus from Australia [PDF, 338 KB]

Related document

Import Risk Assessment: Fresh fruit of Cucurbita maxima, C. pepo and C. moschata from Australia [PDF, 668 KB]

Next steps

After we have considered all submissions, there is a 10-day period which provides submitters with the opportunity to examine any changes to the import health standards which have resulted from consultation. An independent review (under section 24 of the Biosecurity Act 1993) may be requested in this period if a submitter considers scientific evidence they raised during their submission has not received sufficient consideration. If there is no review, the standards become final after 10 days.

Find out more about the process

Submissions are public information

Note that all, part, or a summary of your submission may be published on this website. Most often this happens when we issue a document that reviews the submissions received.

People can also ask for copies of submissions under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA says we must make the content of submissions available unless we have good reason for withholding it. Those reasons are detailed in sections 6 and 9 of the OIA.

If you think there are grounds to withhold specific information from publication, make this clear in your submission or contact us. Reasons may include that it discloses commercially sensitive or personal information. However, any decision MPI makes to withhold details can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may direct us to release it.

Official Information Act 1982 – NZ Legislation

MPI business units