AusBonsai

Hi guys. Is it true that I won't be able to bring any bonsai to wa with me when I move there. ?
I am planning to move there for work and have some trees I realy don't want to part with .
Please tell me it's not true.

Like SA you can bring a mud and soil encrusted 4WD over the border no questions asked, as long as you don't have a pot plant in it. ... most of these rules are just employment schemes for government employees.

Paulneill wrote:Hi guys. Is it true that I won't be able to bring any bonsai to wa with me when I move there. ?
I am planning to move there for work and have some trees I realy don't want to part with .
Please tell me it's not true.

Unfortunately, it is true. We have the most ridiculous laws regarding quarantine in this state.

Quarantine laws in WA sadly you will have to leave your trees behind. Perhaps they can go into quarantine not sure

You could ask what the process is, but I wouldn't be leaving Bonsai in the hands of some government employee.

I can't speak for all quarantine government officials but my uncle worked for Agriculture/Quarantine here in Adelaide for years and he was responsible for looking after very valuable bonsai being imported from overseas. He wasn't a bonsai expert but he did know how to look after trees (and obviously identify and treat pests/diseases). My point is, don't let the idea of leaving your trees in quarantine for a few weeks scare you off (although maybe the price will!).

Hi,
Yes, you can bring some trees to WA providing they don't have diseases we don't want over here. You can ship them barerooted as long as you get a permit from quarantine and go through the appropriate processes. Give them a call and they can give you all the information you need. They will send someone over to inspect the trees and your backyard, and providing it is clean, hopefully give you permission to ship them. Most fruit trees are banned, definitely citrus, but as long as it can survive having all soil removed and sprayed then it should be OK. It isn't a cheap process, so it depends on how much you want to bring them over.
When you get here, come along to BSWA! Would be great to see you there
Meegs.

Paulneill wrote:Hi guys. Is it true that I won't be able to bring any bonsai to wa with me when I move there. ?
I am planning to move there for work and have some trees I realy don't want to part with .
Please tell me it's not true.

Hi Paul get in touch with AQIS in WA they will tell what is required I always thought there was a blanket ban. Apparently there are some exclusions.

Cheers Pup

I might upset some people saying this and might sound a bit naive but can't you just dive a big truck full of bonsai somewhere across that 3000km border?

Island Breeze wrote:I might upset some people saying this and might sound a bit naive but can't you just dive a big truck full of bonsai somewhere across that 3000km border?

Haha, I don't think so Tim. We drive from Perth across SA to NSW and thy made us get out, pull out our bedding and checked in and under the car! And that was leaving WA... Same on the way back, guess we were lucky?!?

So if your a fruit farmer and want to protect your fruit (aka your income), then these laws are an awkward and painful necessity. If you are living interstate with Bonsai trees they're just flamin retarded!

I've seen a documentary where a person imported plants (sorry can't recall which) from overseas in a clear gel growing medium. They, too, ha to contend with these ridiculous laws, but thy managed it.

Perhaps the best time to move would be in the dormancy period for your trees - if you are fortunate to have such trees...


Cheers
EZ
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I took three of my Bonsai to WA when I moved over there 7 years ago (please note it was 7 years and things could well have changed). I entered WA through Kununurra (because I had been visiting my Son in Darwin - no other reason). I had to bare root the trees (I wrapped the roots in wet Coco Peat) and also had to spray them with a prescribed spray in the presence of one of the NT Quarantine guys. None of that was an issue because we did it at my old Nursery . When I got to the Border, the WA Quarantine guy took my paperwork, signed by the NT guy, had a quick look at the trees, took a banana box I had in the back of the ute and sent me on my way, Easy, peezy.

As said up there ^ didn't give a toss about any of the mud clinging to the sides of the ute from the road works we travelled through, but got all upset about an empty banana box. Glad it wasn't an orange box

Just went through the process of inquiry for a guy who CLAIMED it was OK for me to post a tree to WA . Spoke to the head import officer at WA Ag. Trees must be an allowable species ( Japanese Maple is OK) , they either must be bare rooted and inspected when they get there or be treated with four separate chemicals by NSW Ag. and still be inspected when they get there . $5000 fine for non - compliance . It is mostly soil borne pathogens they are worried about .
Cheers Graham

regwac wrote:Just went through the process of inquiry for a guy who CLAIMED it was OK for me to post a tree to WA . Spoke to the head import officer at WA Ag. Trees must be an allowable species ( Japanese Maple is OK) , they either must be bare rooted and inspected when they get there or be treated with four separate chemicals by NSW Ag. and still be inspected when they get there . $5000 fine for non - compliance . It is mostly soil borne pathogens they are worried about .
Cheers Graham

Did you get a costing for the whole process? Is it prohibitive or reasonable?

Hi,
From importing that I have done, prices are quarantine pass per shipment. So you can do one tree or ten.

About eight years ago I had a citrus imported from VIC and it was about $90 (sorry can't remember exact amount). This was through a nursery that organised its clearance through quarantine as a single shipment. I could have ordered more, but silly me only got one. Recently I was looking into bringing something else over and the price was about the same for a single shipment.

In august I ordered through a large supplier based in VIC. Because they are a large company with their own quarantine system it was only $12.40 to have six plants packed, sprayed and inspected. I was so impressed I ordered again in september two trees and paid the same. A bargain imho and I will go through them next time for any stock I order.

Bonsai trees are still just plants as far as quarantine is concerned, so all the same rules apply to big nurseries and the big green shed. If you want something that cannot be bare rooted then they need to hold it for 3-12 months. A friend who works at AQIS filled me in on the process. They will care for it very carefully, spray thoroughly first and then feed it excessively to get it to grow and prove to them its clean. So anything coming over will lose refinement and ramification. This is notoriously expensive, and is probably what people assume all trees will go through. I don't know how much this is, as I haven't felt the need to import something requiring that treatment.

I am still trying to find someone willing to ship a Hong Kong kumquat to me, but I think this issue is surrounded with a fair bit of heresay. There is no blanket ban. No iron curtain. Most nurseries import stock from Flemming's or other suppliers from over there, as the numbers of propagating nurseries are very small here.

If you know a nursery that exports I would think it would be asking if they could help you out. For a fee of course

I would think the main concern would be if you are in an area with myrtle rust. They are really cracking down on that. And for good reason.

Good luck! And let us know how you get on

Meegs.

I did not get any castings . As soon as the woman at WA Ag. Started to describe the process I knew it was out of proportion to the value of the tree .
Graham