Shipping into Australia?

[Monk]

Let's say, hypothetically, that there was a foreign person who frequented this site say from...I dunno...the U.S. and A, and said person wanted to offer something of interest to this ethnobotanical community via trade or gift....What can this person even send into Oz? From most of what I've read on this site, it's damn near impossible to send anything plant related in, but this person might want to contribute more than just information exchange to this wonderful community. Can I get some help or at least a pointer in the right direction to obtain the info?

FM

[Monk]

Damn, nevermind. Just found this: http://www.daff.gov.au/aqis/mail/cant-mail

And I just got quoted around $100.00 US to send a liter of homebrew to Oz (which appears to be legal.) That's not very realistic.

[mark80]

You can send seed reasonably well into asutralia.

[Monk]

Really? The info from that link makes it sound like it's not allowed. Or are you just saying that it's likely to get through, but still a bit 'dodgy' as y'all say down there ?

Edited November 7, 2007 by FM.

[Auxin]

They arent as restrictive on americans sending in small amounts of seed, especially if the seed is clean of 'non-seed organic materials and contaminant weed seed' and is clearly labled with its latin name. Lemme tell ya, small seed like Delosperma spp. is tricky to clean of non-seed organic components.. one trick is to stretch panty hose over a shotglass with the seed inside and stretch it so you can shake out the dust but not the seed, then stretch more so you can shake out the seed but not seed pod fragments. You live in SoCal so a guy buying pantyhose wont seem that odd

AFSR can be donated to by USAdians for example (for ordering from the US last I heard was $2 USD ...our dollar dropped in value since I was quoted that tho) Dont send anything of genus Ipomoea, Papaver, or Nicotiana tho... oddly enough that rule is especially important on Ipomoea, sending morning glory seeds to an aussie from here counts as a drug law violation

Each time before putting on postage check usps.com and do the international calculator, I use a standard letter and be sure to choose the 'contains rigid object' option when prompted. Remember our dollar is dropping like a stone so check the rates each time (it sucks having even canadian money worth more than US now, whats next? Will the yen pass us!?!) and dont forget padding, them machines like to crush things. My envelopes usually end up looking like a baloon so I tape up any paper seams that might get caught in the machines, I started doing that after a package arrived in denmark riped to shreds and empty

[mark80]

I got 50 ariocarpus retusus seeds (well...) sent from engalnd it was openend up by customs and they sent it to me anywya. same with some obesa seeds.

heaps of other people get lots of seed from over seas. As long as it doesn't contain to much organic material.

[Hellonasty]

FM.,

Mate the aust government is a little nuts on imports in regards to anything of a botanic nature. Quarantine is extremely vigilant on seed, plants and basically anything else of a botanic nature as you said. It's weird, getting plants or seed into aust is next to impossible but try a phyto or research chem and no drams there ?????? crazy.

I rekn you would have less than 2% chance of getting plant material including seed into aust. Not sure re homerew ??

[mark80]

I rekn you would have less than 2% chance of getting plant material including seed into aust. Not sure re homerew ??

hmm is that based on something?

[occidentalis]

I got 50 ariocarpus retusus seeds (well...) sent from engalnd it was openend up by customs and they sent it to me anywya. same with some obesa seeds.

Customs would have allowed them in, because Customs is only interested in drugs and other criminal matters.

Quarantine (AQIS) is the organisation that is concerned with biological material entering the country.

[FungalFractoids]

Customs would have allowed them in, because Customs is only interested in drugs and other criminal matters.

Quarantine (AQIS) is the organisation that is concerned with biological material entering the country.

AQIS will even allow items that are technically illegal into the country if treated properly, we imported caapi and just paid to have in heat treated before they'd let us have it. Little did we realise that if customs had got us we could be in serious trouble. Can't get the original link to work but if you google "AQIS" and "caapi" then check the cached page on the first hit you get you'll see the import conditions for banisteriopsis caapi. I totally thought we what were doing was legal, but we could have got in serious shit had customs found out... And all this despite the fact the two departments share the exact same building at Tullamarine airport... Madness, I tell you, bureaucratic madness!

Edited November 8, 2007 by FungalFractoids

[Hellonasty]

hmm is that based on something?

Yes, I have much exprience importing "stuff", and plant material of this nature is extremly hard to get in. Mark, your seeds are completely legal and as Creach siggests you will have no problem with them. Also Customs deal with chems/illegal material and are not up to date with plant / botanical mater. Quarantine deal wth plant matter and that is there forte.

Customs are extremely vigilant in identifiying and stoppping illegal drugs. This does not include plant / botanical matter and they don't really look at plant matter all that much.

Peace

Edited November 8, 2007 by Hellonasty

[occidentalis]

. Mark, your seeds are completely legal and as Creach siggests you will have no problem with them.

hold on

you won't have a problem from customs

you very well may have a problem from quarantine - it won't be such a big problem as it would be with customs, but you'll lose your seeds if you're unlucky.

[Hellonasty]

hold on

you won't have a problem from customs

you very well may have a problem from quarantine - it won't be such a big problem as it would be with customs, but you'll lose your seeds if you're unlucky.

Yeah agreed.

[chilli]

You live in SoCal so a guy buying pantyhose wont seem that odd

Careful Auxin, when I teased FM about where he lives he started crying.

[Torsten]

it's really not rocket science....

1) if it contains an illegal drug then customs may take it and either nail you or send you a registered mail letter [customs misses many obscure yet illegal items, so don't listen to people who say "it must be legal cos I got a parcel that was opened by customs and it got through" - they were just lucky, but are you ready to be unlucky?].

2) if it is CITES listed then customs may take it [mostly relevant to cacti and orchids].

3) if it is a quarantine prohibited or unassessed item then AQIS will take it. to check if it is listed look at the ICON database on the quarantine site.

that 2% is an ignorant statement. if you stick to the above rules and follow all conditions listed on ICON then you can get nearly 100% of plant material imports in.

[Auxin]

Torsten when you say [mostly relevant to cacti and orchids] that means plants right? In the cactus section of CITES in the CITES II section it says seed are an exception. Now I am right in thinking that even tho its listed in the CITES II cacti section it covers the CITES I cacti too because those sections are too small to go into as much detail and thus can be assumed to follow the above listed appendix II model unless otherwise specified and thus since no listing specifically restricts cacti seed in any way all are ok?

With seeds does it help if they have a 'Captive Grown' sticker or something?

See page 73 (67) of CITES: Link

[Monk]

Careful Auxin, when I teased FM about where he lives he started crying.

Thanks. That scar had almost healed. Now I feel like I may cry again What's with gangin' up on the monk? It's like a bad kung fu movie. You should know, though, that the monk always wins these brawls

Torsten, thanks. The ICON database search function is exactly what I was looking for. I am curious about Auxin's last query, though. Thanks everybody.

[occidentalis]

Torsten when you say [mostly relevant to cacti and orchids] that means plants right? In the cactus section of CITES in the CITES II section it says seed are an exception. Now I am right in thinking that even tho its listed in the CITES II cacti section it covers the CITES I cacti too because those sections are too small to go into as much detail and thus can be assumed to follow the above listed appendix II model unless otherwise specified and thus since no listing specifically restricts cacti seed in any way all are ok?

With seeds does it help if they have a 'Captive Grown' sticker or something?

See page 73 (67) of CITES: Link

From memory it says seed are an exception but there is an exception to that which is seed of mexican cacti which are prohibited.

You can get CITES certification for CITES prohibited plants, which does indicate they have been captive grown, however you need to pay for this and I don't know how anyone would go about getting it for some plants they have grown in their backyard. Generally this is only available from larger nurseries and plant suppliers.

[cactuslizardmagick]

From memory it says seed are an exception but there is an exception to that which is seed of mexican cacti which are prohibited.

There's another red tape obstacle, the Dept of Water and Environment Resources (DEWR) who administer CITES. I had a nightmare with some T bridgesii seed recently, where Customs seized it, passed it to AQIS, who I convinced to send it back to Customs to be sent on to me. It went via DEWR, who seized it. I applied for release as the seed is permitted. They approved that, then seized it again because it wasn't declared as plant material on entering the country.

Check ICON, check CITES, make sure the sender declares it as plant material, and you may be fine.

Good luck!

[Torsten]

yeah, what creach said. some cactus seed is CITES listed as far as I know.

[alkatrope]

Kinda different question.. I'm visiting NNSW at the end of the year, and someone there wants to give me a loph - would I have any trouble flying it back to Melb from GC airport?

[mark80]

Kinda different question.. I'm visiting NNSW at the end of the year, and someone there wants to give me a loph - would I have any trouble flying it back to Melb from GC airport?

I am most porbably wrong, but flying within austrlia shouldn't problem having flown to melb with suitcases full of mangos. If it is by some chance illegal you can just post it to yourself.

[Torsten]

as far as I know Lophs are only scheduled drugs in Qld and scheduled weeds in WA. There may also be some quarantine issues going into Tas.

[alkatrope]

Well I am going via GC airport, which is in QLD, so if they open my bags can I be charged?

Not that I can see any reason why they would check my bags, but ya know.

[mark80]

as far as I know Lophs are only scheduled drugs in Qld and scheduled weeds in WA. There may also be some quarantine issues going into Tas.

do you mean act?