They may have been sent with love, but a promotional Facebook floral arrangement which made the trip across Bass Strait to a Tasmanian federal MP has sparked biosecurity concerns.
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Independent Clark MHR Andrew Wilkie received the wreath of Australian native flowers in the mail Monday, which were "apparently sent to all Tasmanian Federal MPs and Senators".
"Dear Facebook," Mr Wilkie wrote in a tweet featuring a photo of himself with the arrangement, wrapped in a Biosecurity Tasmania quarantine bag. "Thanks for the promotional floral arrangement - but you just breached Tas's [sic] biosecurity laws."
In an effort to stop the spread of pests, weeds or diseases, Tasmania has some of the world's toughest restrictions around what can be brought to the island via sea or air. This includes plant seeds, seedlings, cut flowers and foliage.
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"Facebook sent me an unprompted promotional floral arrangement from Sydney," Mr Wilkie explained in a statement. "It arrived today by Australia Post and was apparently sent to all Tasmanian Federal MPs and Senators."
Mr Wilkie said the package sparked swift concerns in his office around the possible environmental implications and likelihood of it being a "serious breach of Tasmania's tough but entirely warranted biosecurity laws".
"My office immediately contacted Biosecurity Tasmania who were very concerned that the arrangement had not been quarantine cleared and likely contained live seeds and the possibility of serious pests and diseases," Mr Wilkie said.
"I was very pleased to see Biosecurity Tasmania responded quickly and professionally."
A Facebook company spokesperson confirmed they had sent the flowers to Mr Wilkie to "spread some festive cheer" and had reached out to Tasmanian authorities to "understand more about what happened here".
"We sent an Australian native wreath to Mr Wilkie to spread some festive cheer and share information about a local business from his electorate that features in our 2019 Gift Guide," the spokesperson said.
"The Gift Guide celebrates regional small business owners and encourages Australians to buy to support regional communities for the holidays, especially now in this time when so many are experiencing drought."
The spokesperson did not say whether wreaths had been sent to other MPs in the state.
The offices of a number of other Tasmanian federal MPs were contacted. Labor Lyons MHR Brian Mitchell and Liberal Senator Wendy Askew's offices had not received any flowers from Facebook - though Monday is a public holiday in the state's north.
The Primary Industries, Parks, Wildlife and Environment Department were also contacted for comment.
Biosecurity has been on the mind of many in the state recently. January marked one year since Queensland fruit fly larvae was found on Flinders Island, sparking months-long quarantine efforts to return the state to pest free status.
A live Queensland tree frog found its way to Scottsdale with a bunch of bananas in August last year.
Biosecurity Tasmania has agreements with other states and producers on its quarantine system, along with checks at the border by regulatory and compliance staff who investigate and respond to reported incursions.
The state agency's Plant Biosecurity Manual states that packages containing plants and plant products sent by postal service or courier "must be marked for the attention of Biosecurity Tasmania".
Packages must be undamaged, free of pests and diseases, and be clearly labelled with a description of the contents and details of the grower and packer.
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