The Kava Pilot and the final report

Kava pilot

The first phase of the kava pilot was implemented in December 2019, allowing incoming passengers 18 years and over to bring up to 4kg of kava (powder) into Australia in their accompanied baggage. The second phase of the kava pilot commenced on 1 December 2021 and allowed for the commercial import of kava as a food.

The Kava pilot ends on 31 December 2023. 

The Australian Government will make a decision on future imports of kava following the end of the pilot period. There is no date set for a decision. 

The arrangements under the pilot remain in place up until any decision is made by the Australian Government. 

Until any potential changes are implemented, importers can continue to apply for import permission for kava from the Office of Drug Control (ODC).

Final report 

The final report on the monitoring and evaluation of Phase 2 of the Kava Pilot Program is now available.

Monitoring and Evaluation of the Kava Pilot Program