Importing seeds from USA?

M Nash starts with ...
I found that I can import water melon seeds on this forum and I did so.
(Orangelo here I come)
My question is ;
Is there a ready reckoner as to what can and cannot be imported from the states?

MIke T1 says...
People bringing seeds back need to be aware of the laws and icon listing and requirements.Coming through Sydney is a big problem even when you comply with the laws,declare and have done everything right.They routinely let groups through unchecked and seize permitted material on fabricated grounds.I found this out in the past and warned a friend coming back from China on this.He had permitted seeds seized as labels were hand written.He knew it was just made up and when he complained the seeds were mailed back.They let the rest of his ljne through unchecked because they spent so long with him.
When it happened to me and officers made a cluster of breaches and told fits and destroyed seeds immediately with no appeal period offered.All I could get was apologies but I wanted heads to roll over the depth of incompetence.
Where are the border security cameras when you need them.The moral of the story is challenge them, be ready to remind them of appeal periods and call for superiors.Have numbers ready of airport customs,aqis,Canberra plant import regulators and complain.Complain to their Minister as well.The magnitude of ineptitude in airport checks is extraordinary.

MIke T1 says...
Yes I did and also the relevant parts of the Quarantine Act and Googled identification shots.In my case they refused to look at it and said they had discretion to do whatever they like.My friend who came through Sydney also had the icon printouts but the inspectors were in an obstructionist mood.That is why they had to be creative about his seizure of seeds and made up that only factory printed seed labels are acceptable.They sure couldn't find that in their Act.

sternus1 says...
What you all need to understand is that governmental departments consist almost exclusively of incompetents.No matter which industry you're talking about, nobody GOOD at they do works for the government. This is because bureaucracies are underfunded, poorly managed, and poorly equipped--if you're talented, and have your pick of jobs, you will invariably be drawn to the private sector--or will be poached off the public payroll.

Think about that next time you turn up at the polling booth on Election day.

And yes, Mike; their assertion that they have the authority to do whatever they like is correct, because they constitute the ultimate overseeing body, are themselves not subject to oversight, and the law does not make any provisions to contest ICON decisions. There is no forum for second-tier adjudication; as far as I'm aware, this makes quarantine disputes unique in Australian law.

They will always have you over a barrel for this reason; citing the quarantine act (1996) will not amount to a hill of beans. All this will do is raise the ire of the particular inspectors on the day, who will be embittered imbeciles who will subsequently destroy your material out of spite after having decided you are trying to tell them how to do their job. This is infact precisely what you experienced. Of course there is nothing in the quarantine Act about labeling, and nor does there need to be for ground staff to refuse your material entry. All there needs to be is reasonable suspicion that your msterial does not meet quarantine standards, through some aspect of congeniality or otherwise. And since this is something left to the discretion of the individual staffer, it can constitute anything at all--even the most absurd and ad libitum definitions--and on the day, most likely it will.

Bangkok says...
I sent seeds from Thailand to Oz a few times and they all arrived without problems.

I wrote all the info on the package and in 10-11 days they arrived. These seeds were on that list though.
The receiver also ordered from Indonesia and all arrived.

Sending scions is not allowed though according to him.

Bangkok says...
You Aussies have strange customs.

When i entered Australia (20 years ago) i saw huge warningsigns at the customs. 100.000 au$ if you bring in plantmaterial or seeds into the country.

That scared me so much that i even showed them my deepfried peanuts that i had with me.

Now 20 years later i have seen that tv-program about Aussie customs a few times and loads of travellers get busted with bags full of fruit/vegy/meat anything. The cockroaches/ants running everywhere.

I 'm still waiting to see the person who gets that maximum fine of 100k$. So far the hardest punisment i've seen was 100au$ fine + dump all the illegal goods.

But yes, it seems a lot easyier to send seeds by mail. Just pack them the way the customs like it and Bob is your uncle.