6Ministerial orders

6 Ministerial orders

(1) The Minister may make any orders that are permitted or required for the purposes of this Act.

(2) Without affecting the generality of subsection (1), if the Minister is of the opinion that—

(a) an organism of the plant or animal kingdom (other than vertebrates); or

(b) any bacterium, fungus, protozoa, phytoplasma, virus or viroid; or

(c) a disorder, condition or cause of specified symptoms in plants or plant products—

(a suspected exotic pest or disease) is harmful to the growth or quality (including the commercial or marketable quality) of plants or plant products, the Minister may, by order published in the Government Gazette, declare the suspected pest or disease to be an exotic pest or disease.

(3) An order made under subsection (2) may declare the exotic pest or disease by reference to one or both of the following—

(a) a general description of the organism, bacterium, fungus, protozoa, phytoplasma, virus or viroid, disorder, condition or symptoms;

(b) a description of the effect the suspected exotic pest or disease has on the growth or quality (including the commercial or marketable quality) of plants or plant products.

S. 6(4) amended by No. 1/2024 s. 82.

(4) An order under subsection (2) remains in force for 6 months after the date of making unless sooner revoked by the Minister.

Part 2—Plant pest and disease control

Division 1—General controls

7 Definition

In this Division, prescribed material means any—

(a) plant, plant product or plant vector;

(b) used package or used equipment;

(c) earth material;

(d) beehive—

that is prescribed or of a class prescribed by the regulations for the purposes of this Division.