Revised Approved Arrangements General Policies

2 March 2022 Revision of Approved Arrangement General Policies came into effect issued by the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment to better reflect the department’s risk-based approach to regulation.

With this revision the department will continue to focus compliance monitoring activities on areas of greater risk and, where appropriate, will recognise good compliance with reduced audit rates.

Approved arrangement is a voluntary agreement between independent biosecurity operators and the Agency which permits operators to manage biosecurity risks and perform the documentary assessment of specified goods using their own premises, facilities, equipment and people providing biosecurity industry participants with greater clarity regarding arrangement suspension-related processes and audit activities.

We would like you to be informed that the revisions and clarifications to audit activities do not apply to approved arrangements for Class 19.1 Non-commodity for Containerised Cargo Clearance or Class 19.2 Automatic Entry Processing for Commodities.

Revisions include:

• Biosecurity industry participants must be in full compliance with their arrangement at the end of a suspension period.

• The department may vary a period of suspension.

• A biosecurity industry participant may request revocation of, and the department may revoke, a suspension prior to the end of the period specified in a notice of suspension.

• The department will carry out an audit prior to the end of a department-imposed suspension.

• Following a voluntary suspension, an audit by the department may not be required depending on the reasons for, and circumstances of, the suspension.

• Additional guidance is provided on the application of different audit rates.

• Following the approval or variation of an arrangement, the department may not require a second probation audit where the first probation audit is passed with no identified noncompliance.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach an Image International Freight representative, sales@imageinternational.com.au or call us on +61 2 9773 1378.