jill1420

Does anyone know if its okay to bring over treated wicker? Only asking because I bought 6 dining room chairs (banana leaf) from Next last year before I thought about emigrating. They were quite expensive so was just trying to work out if it would be cheaper to get them sprayed if required rather than sell them for a pittance. It would be less hassle for me to just get them sprayed as they match my table. Any advice appreciated.

TeamEmbo

We were told categorically no wicker or seagrass etc. This is because mites thrive inside such materials. As far banana leaf, I'm would assume MAF wouldn't be too keen on that either. Having said that, I do know of people who have brought over such items. I suppose if you had a certificate or some kind of paperwork from the fumigator to say you'd had the chairs professionally cleaned that you could show MAF they might be ok about it. Or you might not need to bother having it done there as MAF might want to fumigate them themselves this end, at your expense.

It might be worth contacting MAF or your container people to see about banana leaf furniture specifically. MAF are very approachable and it's not their aim to stop people bringing stuff in, it's just there are some definite no no items (seeds, meat, food & plants) and some that need to be brought into NZ correctly to maintain the biosecurity.

pixi-dust

we took over loads of wicker, dog bed, cat bed, chair, loads of baskets - all itemised and MAF didnt even ask to see them.

TeamEmbo

From www.biosecurity.govt.nz/imports, don't know if this will help as it doesn't specifically mention banana leaf

3.2 Treatment Requirements

3.2.1 Any treatment completed prior to import must comply with the
requirements of this import health standard, or an equivalent
treatment(s) approved by MAF.

3.2.2 If bamboo, cane, willow, and rattan are fumigated or
heat-treated prior to export the bamboo, cane, willow, and rattan must
be treated no more than twenty-one (21) days before export to
New Zealand.

3.3 Treatment Options

MAF accepts one or more of the following treatment options for bamboo,
cane, willow, and rattan.

3.3.1 Fumigation of filleted or otherwise separated layers with methyl
bromide at the rates and temperatures indicated in the table below,
for more than 24 continuous hours.

Concentration (g/m3) Temperature (°C)
72 6 – 10
64 11 – 15
56 16 – 20
48 20+

3.3.2 Heat treatment for more than 4 hours at a minimum continuous
core temperature of 70°C.

3.4 Certification Requirements

3.4.1 An import permit is not required to import bamboo, cane, willow,
and rattan into New Zealand.

3.4.2 For the purpose of providing certification of the treatment
status of consignments to be imported into New Zealand, the importer
may use a:

phytosanitary certificate issued by the NPPO and based on the model
certificate included in ISPM 12;
phytosanitary certificate issued by the NPPO other than the
certificate specified in (a) to which the following is to be
included;
"The bamboo, cane, willow, or rattan in this consignment have
been inspected according to appropriate official procedures and are
considered to be free from the regulated pests specified by MAF,
and to conform with New Zealand’s current phytosanitary
requirements".
treatment certificate issued by the manufacturer or
operator/manager of the treatment company.
3.4.3 All certification must be original, free of alterations and
erasures, and printed in English.

This does sound more for mass import of such items doesn't it?!

TeamEmbo

... we only came in May this year and that's what we were told. I also wasn't allowed to bring over candles (beeswax), wooden spoons (untreated wood!), and we weren't allowed any food (dried, tinned or otherwise), drink, batteries, solvents, aerosols etc. Oh, and when our stuff got here and we had a MAF inspection they were also very interested in what type of ornaments we had, not christmas stuff as they'd already inspected that, but other ornaments, particularly wood from Africa.

jill1420

Really appreciate all your replies. I know when my friend emigrated to Oz last year she got billed for them spraying her wicker vases that she had packed. Will contact MAF to find out. I know they were shipped from India or africa and so was all my wooden furniture even though its through NEXT. Maybe my wooden furniture wont pass either. :curse:thanks again

TeamEmbo - I enjoyed reading your blog today although my kids are slightly freaked by your kids school uniforms. They thought they would be wearing rashes and boardies...........lol

BEVS

We brought in our wicker baskets , wooden artifacts picked up from around the world over the years, garden tools, christmas decorations, and my trusty wooden rolling pin among other assorted odds and ends, including some fine malt that was given to my husband but which he doesn't drink. We also had to bring in loads of my husbands work tools which had travelled inside and outside of the UK and had been on all sorts of properties , farms etc. You can imagine the state they were in.
We cleaned and applied jeyes fluid to anything we felt would need it.
We listed everything that MZF might be interested in.

Our container wasn't even inspected. All we had was a phone call to confirm that husband was a plumber and the tools were for his trade .

I now wish we had brought in the garden furniture, tent and camping equipment which we were advised not to bother with but which would have in all likelihood been fine with the correct cleaning and declaration.

jill1420

Thanks BEV.........feeling a bit better............that would be a huge loss if we had to leave all our living/dining room furniture. I will phone up and enquire to confirm. Strange how some people are getting told different requirements.

BEVS

Best to contact MAF direct as has been suggested.
You can email MAF and they will get back to you.

Much of the information depends on which shippers you speak with. We spoke with an assortment of shippers and all had varying advice on what we could and could not bring. A couple of shippers even told us we could not bring our feather duvets and pillow . Utter rubbish and we have them now.

In the end we selected Curtiss of Portsmouth as our shippers but to be honest , I read up on the MAF site and asked questions on the NZ forums to decide for myself what we would and would not take.

As I said, looking back now, I can't think why we didn't bring in the tent . Kiwis are tramping overseas all the time and coming back in with their tents and tramping boots. Our garden furniture had only ever sat on our lawn for goodness sake. We should have cleaned it all up and brought it with us.

TeamEmbo

Would agree with that - it does seem to depend which packers you have. What to bring and what not to bring was something we really stressed over. Now that we've been through the process and seen it first hand, there's a whole heap of things we'd have done differently and realise that we needn't have worried so much.

Hindsights a wonderful thing eh?

TeamEmbo

Thanks. Yep, my kids freaked at them too but after day 1 at school and no one else batting an eyelid about them (why would they, its the norm here!) my kids felt less self-conscious and actually I would say that the kids here in general are less judgmental about fashion and labels and money. My kids found it a breath of fresh air to just be accepted for who they are, not what they have or haven't got. It really is people not possessions that count here.

jill1420

Looking forward to the chilled attitudes towards, clothes, possessions. Too much pressure on kids here. Im going to save a fortune on hair gel.

SarahB

We were told no wicker too. That was a shame as we had a lovely large wicker set that we hadnt had long. We left it for the tenants to use down in the sunhouse.... no idea whats happened to it now we have sold the house. It wouldve fitted into our sunroom here very nicely.

I wasnt even allowed to bring my drawaing board as it was untreated wood. They suggested I painted it!! Crazy idea! My dad bought me that and as I love to draw I was pissed off to have to leave it.

teambwr47

The can you can't you seems to come from the packers you choose in the UK not what is actually allowed in or not....

We had 5 different companies quote for us and they all had differing views on what we could and couldn't take.

We totted up the value of the things we have with some wood/wicker etc in and then compared that to the max cost of fumigation if needed and decided we're better off taking it as opposed to selling 2nd hand furniture in the UK for peanuts even if it was expensive stuff.

We had one guy say that there was no way our garden furniture could go while others just said it has to be very clean and it'll be fine.........

Theres seem to be plenty off crates entering NZ that actually never get opened/inspected at all so maybe we/you'll be lucky........

We had a clear out of some stuff before we left but basically packed all we own as i looked at things and thought if it doesn't go i'll only have to buy it again in NZ where it'll probably cost more. I know some people treat the move like a new start and leave/sell all their UK stuff but for us we've treated it just like moving within the UK where i'm sure people would normally take all they have.

As we have every intention to build here i even had some expensive light fittings changed for normal ones before we left and packed them as well

BEVS

Perhaps should have added that our container wasn't even inspected.