Advice on consigning empty used grape bins or bulk tippers into South Australia from an interstate Phylloxera Exclusion Zone.
 
As communicated by Vinehealth Australia and PIRSA-Biosecurity SA earlier this year, we remind industry that the previous amnesty by Biosecurity SA on certification for empty used grape bins or tippers consigned from an interstate Phylloxera Exclusion Zone (PEZ) no longer applies. Incoming empty used grape bins or bulk tippers, like all other regulated items, must now fully comply with South Australia’s Plant Quarantine Standard Version 17.0 Condition 7 Clause 3.

We know this requirement for certification of empty used grape bins or tippers entering from an interstate PEZ will mean a change in logistics for you and your supply chains.


For those consigning or receiving such items into SA, we’ve tried to break down the requirements into steps to help you understand and more easily comply with these requirements. If any of the detail below is unclear, or you require further assistance specific to your business, please contact Biosecurity SA’s Market Access team on (08) 8207 7814.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
For used empty grape bins or bulk tippers consigned into South Australia from an interstate PEZ, entry requirements based on reducing the risk of introducing fruit fly and phylloxera as per the SA Plant Quarantine Standard, are as follows:

  1. The importing South Australian business must register as an importer with PIRSA-Biosecurity SA;
  2. The consigning interstate business must ensure each load of empty used grape bins or bulk tippers is accompanied by a designated form of certification to show that the items meet the requirements of the Plant Quarantine Standard; either a Plant Health Certificate (PHC) or Plant Health Assurance Certificate (PHAC); and
  3. The empty used grape bins or bulk tippers must be directly inspected on arrival into SA by either a PIRSA-Biosecurity SA Inspector or an IVCA-accredited business.

WHAT INDUSTRY NEEDS TO DO
The following steps must be met as part of the importation process of empty used grape bins or bulk tippers into SA from an interstate PEZ under the South Australian Plant Quarantine Standard:

1. Register with Biosecurity SA as an importing business, as empty used grape bins or bulk tippers are a regulated item in SA:

  • If you are undertaking only a handful of imports in a season, obtain a Plant Health Import Certificate for each load as your form of importer registration. Complete the application form at https://www.pir.sa.gov.au/forms.
  • If you are undertaking multiple imports in a season, it will be more efficient for you to obtain either Importer Registration (IR01) or Import Verification Compliance Arrangement (IVCA) as your form of importer registration. IVCA includes importer registration and allows businesses to direct inspect and verify consignments. Complete the application forms at https://www.pir.sa.gov.au/forms.

NOTE: This importer registration is only applicable to SA-based businesses; commonly a vineyard owner, a carrier or a winery. If you are a winery based outside of SA with no SA-based staff and you receive full winegrape loads from SA and consign empty used grape bins or tippers back into SA for refilling, this step will need to be completed by your supplying vineyards in SA, or carriers. 
2. The interstate consigning business must ensure that, at the time the empty bulk tipper or load of empty grape bins leaves the sending state, it is accompanied by a designated form of certification, either:

  • A Plant Health Certificate certifying that the load is being consigned from a business in a PEZ and that all items in the load are clean of soil and plant material.
    • A Plant Health Certificate is a biosecurity document that can be issued by an interstate Biosecurity Officer (e.g. Agriculture Victoria or DPI NSW) who will check that the empty used bins or bulk tippers meet SA’s import requirements.
    • Refer to the current Phylloxera Management Zones map here.

NOTE: Businesses that envisage requiring Plant Health Certificates are advised to work closely with their state biosecurity departments before vintage to advise of potential numbers and timing of these certificates.

OR

  • A Plant Health Assurance Certificate certifying that the load is being consigned from a business in a PEZ and that all items in the load are clean of soil and plant material.
    • A Plant Health Assurance Certificate is a biosecurity document completed by an authorised person of a business in a PEZ that has gained specific accreditation through their state biosecurity department to inspect and verify the cleanliness of empty used grape bins or bulk tippers passing through their business, destined for SA.
    • In New South Wales, this accreditation is known as CA-26 ‘Cleaning, inspection and certification of empty produce bins’. The requirements of CA-26 are also currently being incorporated into ICA-33 Part B accreditation in NSW. Businesses holding a valid ICA-33 Part B accreditation will then also be able to certify empty used grape bins or bulk tippers into SA using this accreditation. 
    • In Victoria, this accreditation is known as PS-45 ‘Cleaning, inspection and certification of fruit fly host produce bins’. 

NOTE: The interstate consigning business responsible for certifying the loads of empty used grape bins or bulk tippers is commonly a winery or a carrier.

3. As an importer of regulated items into SA, businesses are also subject to meeting Direct Inspection requirements, whereby the items are required to be inspected and cleared on arrival into the state. This activity can be performed by either:

  • A Biosecurity SA Officer; or
  • Any business holding an IVCA accreditation.

NOTE: Direct inspections can be performed by any authorised signatories recorded under a business’ IVCA accreditation. This could include employees of a business, vineyard owners, or carriers as arranged by the accredited business. Where a carrier has been recorded as a designated authorised signatory under one business’ IVCA accreditation, they cannot direct inspect consignments under that IVCA accreditation on behalf of another business to which they are not an authorised signatory; in this case it is suggested that the carrier become IVCA accredited in their own right. 

HOW NON-COMPLIANCE WILL BE HANDLED FOR INCOMING CONSIGNMENTS WITH NO CERTIFICATION

  • As with any other non-compliant material, non-compliant loads identified at the border will be placed under quarantine direction and held until certification (PHC or PHAC) can be provided and a direct inspection can be arranged by a PIRSA officer to confirm that the empty bins or tippers are clean of soil and plant material. 
  • We encourage industry to be prepared, and therefore avoid non-compliant situations, as delays of several hours may occur. If uncertified fruit is discovered in loads of what should be empty bins, it’s highly likely that those loads will be re-directed out of SA for cleaning prior to re-entry.

Applications for accreditation with Biosecurity SA should be lodged at least six weeks prior to vintage to ensure that processing and accreditation can be completed on time.

For further assistance around importing items into SA relating to this Industry Notice, contact Biosecurity SA’s Market Access team on (08) 8207 7814.


ADVICE ON CONSIGNING EMPTY USED GRAPE BINS OR BULK TIPPERS INTO SOUTH AUSTRALIA FROM AN INTERSTATE PHYLLOXERA RISK ZONE (PRZ), PHYLLOXERA INFESTED ZONE (PIZ) OR PHYLLOXERA INTERIM BUFFER ZONE (PIBZ)

A reminder that importation into South Australia of empty used grape bins or bulk tippers that are consigned from an interstate business located in a PRZ, PIZ or PIBZ involves different import requirements to those outlined in this Notice. In these situations, a sterilisation step is mandatory using an approved method and a Plant Health Assurance Certificate is not an accepted form of certification. For more information, refer to South Australia’s Plant Quarantine Standard Condition 7 Clause 3.2.

We applaud grape and wine businesses that actively seek to avoid the risk of spreading phylloxera by segregating their bin fleet by Phylloxera Management Zone and not moving these items between different Zones.