Moving Plants Interstate - Queensland to NSW

takloohaivan on 14/03/2025 - 15:31
Last edited 14/03/2025 - 15:54 by 1 other user

Hi, I need to move a potted plant from Queensland to NSW (from Brisbane nursery to Sydney). I read that one needs to get the necessary certificates to move plants interstate.

Is there any specialized courier service doing it? I cannot currently drive to Brisbane and put the plant in car and carry it back home. Not sure if that is also allowed without getting the plant health certificate and interstate certificate. I know there is no check point on the border but if luck is bad and I get pulled over by police and they check the car i do not want to be fined heavily for this.

Has anyone moved plants interstate before?

TH

Home & Garden Plant

Comments

  • Muppet Detector on 14/03/2025 - 15:42
    +4

    What kind of plant are you trying to move?

    • jv on 14/03/2025 - 15:45
      +2

      😁

  • Sye on 14/03/2025 - 15:43
    +12

    Put it in a boogie board bag.

  • takloohaivan on 14/03/2025 - 15:44

    It is a wood apple plant less than 20 cm in height.

    • freefall101 on 14/03/2025 - 16:17
      +3

      Wouldn't it just be easier to give it away and get a new plant? It's basically a sapling.

      • takloohaivan on 14/03/2025 - 17:13

        you do not get these plants in Sydney. After much searching, i found it is available in a nursery in Brisbane and they do not courier.

        • FireRunner on 14/03/2025 - 17:31
          +7

          Not a plant expert but it might not be able to grow well in Sydney if that’s the reason they don’t sell it there

          • Sye on 14/03/2025 - 17:37
            +3

            @FireRunner: The Wood Apple is suitable for climates where temperatures rarely dip below 12°C making them difficult to grow south of Brisbane. They prefer warm, humid and moist conditions and go dormant during even the mildest of winters.

            • takloohaivan on 14/03/2025 - 17:44

              @Sye: I tried germinating them from seeds in Jan/Feb and Mar but they didnt. i will give it another go for a small sapling. hopefully it might hold strong before spring and chances of it living would be there. worth a try

  • boomramada on 14/03/2025 - 15:53

    has anyone moved plants interstate before?

    Maybe with a boogie board?

  • GordonD on 14/03/2025 - 16:01
    +1

    https://www.fragileremovals.com.au/moving-house/how-to-move-…

    Even if you don't get them to move the plants, they may be able to tell you more about what you need to do.

  • geekcohen on 14/03/2025 - 16:09

    Post on https://www.loadshift.com.au/ and see what you get.

  • RogerLoger on 14/03/2025 - 16:25

    https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/biosecurity/plant/restrictions-on…

    Qld probably has similar restrictions, including controlling what leaves the State.

    • tenpercent on 14/03/2025 - 17:12
      +1

      Why would they care what leaves the state? There would be restrictions from other states and restrictions from one area to another intrastate.

      • RogerLoger on 14/03/2025 - 17:41
        +4

        I can't say why. It's not just crossing the border, things like tight fire ant control zones may be a very good reason to control movement, but there are all sorts of diseases that need to be contained.
        There may be something here (I'm not going to read and sumamrise it for you) https://www.betterremovalistssunshinecoast.com.au/moving-pla…
        Otherwise, search for biological control, pests, diseases, whatever else you can think of with the following to control where the information comes from site:.qld.gov.au

      • cfuse on 15/03/2025 - 11:13

        Reciprocity. The second you say "screw you, not my problem" you'll get the same in reply.

        Risking billions of dollars of primary production over relatively minor inspections is stupid.

        • tenpercent on 15/03/2025 - 12:18

          There would be a bit of duplication of effort and therefore a waste of resources though?
          QLD has restrictions on what can come in & move around inside the state. Other states similarly would have restrictions on what can come into their states from QLD.
          Adding restrictions on what can leave QLD is therefore unneccessary.

  • MS Paint on 14/03/2025 - 17:07

    Interstate plant removal specialists 1800 420 420

    Ask for Barry. Tell him I sent you.

    • tenpercent on 14/03/2025 - 17:12

      Wrong number. No Barry there. <confused face>

      • MS Paint on 14/03/2025 - 17:15
        +1

        I just checked with Barry. He said you gave him unnecessary problems in the past so fobbing you off.

        • tenpercent on 14/03/2025 - 17:16

          Oh whoops. Just checked my call history and looks like I only called 1800 69 69 69 by mistake.

    • Sammy2000 on 15/03/2025 - 12:15

      Barry Du Bois? <confused face>

  • takloohaivan on 14/03/2025 - 17:40
    -1

    the best option would be if still available during school holidays i can drive there and put the plant in boogie board or hide it in my car along with bags and drive it back to sydney.

    • RogerLoger on 14/03/2025 - 17:47
      +3

      Do you really want to be known as the person who spread fire ants in NSW?

      Buying a new one at a plant nursery and ensuring the plant you seem to care so much about goes to a caring owner in QLD seems a far better option. That said, my wife has raised a number of plants than acquaintances who since died and has strong sentimental attachment to them, so I do understand if my method seems callous to you.

  • foxmulder on 14/03/2025 - 20:13

    I belief there is no restriction for shipping plants and soils, just ship in upright box, water and padded well, mark which part of the box is top and bottom.

  • George Washington on 14/03/2025 - 20:45

    why dont u put it on facebook marketplace with a price or join a backpackers fb group and ask for someone who is happening to travel between brisbane and sydney next few weeks to pick up and drop u a plant in return u pay them 50 bux and a case of beer?

  • miwahni on 15/03/2025 - 01:52

    Have a look here - https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/dpi/bfs/insect-pests/rifa/rules-f… for the emergency orders in place re moving potted plants from Qld to NSW.

    • RogerLoger on 15/03/2025 - 05:20

      DPI create the order and don't tell people via an advertising campaign. The result is few people know to look and non-compliance is common. Can you blame DPI for that? My guess is they don't get enough funding to cover expensive marketing. Far better to toss a small fortune at the problem now than a large fortune dealing with a biosecurity problem later.

      That said, some people don't give a damn or live in a world of ignorance ("there's nothing wrong with my plant").

      • cfuse on 15/03/2025 - 11:33
        +1

        IME non-compliance with law is far more about an attitude of I'm too good for that than it is ignorance.

        As for the DPI, it doesn't take much to have a social media presence. You don't pay for expensive ads, you hire someone with a smart mouth and tell them to go start beef with people talking stuff about the DPI or its purview.

  • Muppet Detector on 16/03/2025 - 14:47

    Out of all the plants that are available in NSW, what's so special about this one that the OP is going to so much trouble to get it?

  • takloohaivan on 17/03/2025 - 11:36
    +1

    Thank you all for your comments and insights. After reading all the above, i feel that it is not worth the trouble to get the plant from Queensland. I will drop the idea of it.

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