South Australia amends import conditions for WA hay

South Australia has made amendments to its import conditions relating to hay from Western Australia (WA) to aid producers struggling to source affordable and available feed.

As of Friday May 30, conditional entry of hay from lower-risk areas of WA is permitted on a case-by-case basis. Approval for entry is subject to the following conditions:

• Each consignment must be accompanied by a Plant Health Import Certificate (PHIC) and a Biosecurity Declaration that clearly identifies the origin of the hay. (These can be obtained by applying online or emailing PIRSA.PlantHealth@sa.gov.au)

• All consignments must be sealed / covered during transport to prevent spillage.

• A detailed manifest must be submitted to PIRSA prior to arrival, in accordance with existing procedures.

• Upon arrival in SA, consignments will be inspected by either a business registered with PIRSA or PIRSA Biosecurity Officers.

These amendments follow ongoing discussions between Livestock SA and the Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) about biosecurity restrictions that have prevented hay from WA being brought into South Australia due to the presence of green snail. They also bring SA's guidelines into line with those applied by NSW and Victoria.

A map showing the revised WA green snail zones can be found on PIRSA's website - which now also outlines the requirements for commercial hay imports including the biosecurity risk zones for green snail in WA and Victoria, and Red Imported Fire Ant (RIFA) in New South Wales and Queensland.

Livestock SA CEO Travis Tobin thanked the state government for their part in working to amend the importing conditions and said the decision was a positive step for producers struggling to source available and affordable feed.

“We know the competition and cost of sourcing fodder is increasing by the week, so it is important that we provide producers with as many options as possible to help them keep animals fed, particularly key breeding stock,” Mr Tobin said.

“We also understand the importance of maintaining strong biosecurity, which is why experts have been involved to ensure it wasn’t compromised by opening up the low-risk areas of WA.”

Further information can be acquired by contacting the Plant Health Market Access hotline on 08 8207 7814 or PIRSA.PlantHealthMarketAccess@sa.gov.au.