Cruise vessel standard – additional human health requirements
There are now additional human health requirements for seaport operators of locations where cruise passengers disembark. Find out more.
First points of entry (FPOE) are locations where vessels and goods that are subject to biosecurity control are permitted to arrive. To be an FPOE, ports must meet certain requirements.
When the Biosecurity Act 2015 commenced, existing ports were issued temporary determinations. This allowed them to continue to operate as FPOE while working toward compliance with new biosecurity regulatory requirements. These determinations expired on 15 June 2019. Ongoing determinations were made for ports if their operators could show how they complied with all FPOE regulatory requirements.
We granted extensions to temporary determinations to certain ports that were unable to meet regulatory requirements within this timeframe. We are engaging with relevant operators at these ports. They will receive ongoing determinations when they can comply with the regulatory requirements.
Find the list of FPOE and their determinations.
Find information for vessels arriving at FPOE or non-first points of entry.
FPOE Determinations are made for a geographical area or place. Because many entities operate within a port location, managing biosecurity risk is a shared responsibility.
Before your port can be determined as an FPOE, we must first assess its general eligibility based on the biosecurity risks posed by your operations.
Once we have determined that the risks can be acceptably managed, we assess all operators facilitating international arrivals at the port to ensure they comply with regulatory standards.
If you want your port to be an FPOE, email biosecurityfirstpoints@aff.gov.au.
Before your port can be determined as an FPOE, it must also meet the requirements in section 58 of the Biosecurity Regulation 2016. If you operate at a port, the FPOE Biosecurity Standards set out what you need to do to meet these regulatory requirements.
All entities operating at an FPOE are responsible for meeting the standards relevant to their part of the port’s operations. These entities include:
- port authorities
- third-party operators leasing berth space
- stevedores
- shipping lines
- other logistical agents.
The standards ensure all operators facilitating international arrivals at the port have the procedures and infrastructure in place to:
- manage the biosecurity risks associated with arriving vessels, travellers and cargo
- respond to and report biosecurity or human biosecurity risks
- manage biosecurity waste appropriately
- support biosecurity officers to safely and effectively assess, inspect and treat goods under biosecurity control
- manage the environment around the port of entry to reduce its receptivity to pests and diseases of biosecurity concern.
Download
| Document | Pages | File size |
|---|---|---|
First point of entry biosecurity standards (ports) PDF  | 20 | 924 KB |
First point of entry biosecurity standards (ports) DOCX  | 20 | 622 KB |
If you have difficulty accessing these files, visit web accessibility for assistance.
If you own or operate a biosecurity entry point (BEP) location for ‘passenger vessel baggage’ (i.e. a location where cruise passengers disembark), you are required to implement additional human health facilities and procedures to effectively manage the increased risk of COVID-19. This is also necessary for operators to maintain compliance with FPOE regulatory requirements.
The ‘Cruise vessel standard – additional human health facilities and procedures’ document sets out the additional human health requirements you need to meet. They include implementing a dedicated Health Room and procedures for managing the human biosecurity risk associated with ill travellers in the cruise terminal/facility. Note the document should be read in conjunction with the FPOE Biosecurity Standards.
If you have any questions regarding the new requirements, please email biosecurityfirstpoints@aff.gov.au.
Download
| Document | Pages | File size |
|---|---|---|
| Cruise vessel standard – additional human health facilities and procedures PDF | 3 | 221 KB |
| Cruise vessel standard – additional human health facilities and procedures DOCX | 3 | 78 KB |
If you have difficulty accessing these files, visit web accessibility for assistance.
In order to demonstrate and maintain compliance with regulatory requirements, FPOE operators must have documented procedures in place for identifying, reporting and managing biosecurity risks associated with their operations.
Our template helps you meet this obligation. The template contains the minimum requirements of a biosecurity risk response procedure. You can use it to develop a procedure specific to your site and operations.
Download
| Document | Pages | File size |
|---|---|---|
| Biosecurity risk response procedure template (ports) DOCX | 3 | 43 KB |
If you have difficulty accessing the template or have questions regarding its use please email the department at biosecurityfirstpoints@aff.gov.au.
Under Biosecurity Regulation 58(4)(a)&(b), all staff who are involved with facilitating international arrivals must be aware of the biosecurity risks posed by their operations and know how to report them.
Our biosecurity awareness package helps FPOE operators meet these obligations. The package provides information about common and emerging biosecurity risks that you may see in a port environment. It also describes how you can work with us to minimise the risk of exotic pests and diseases entering Australia.
All staff working with international arrivals at first points of entry must complete the awareness package to achieve compliance with regulatory requirements.
Seaports FPOE biosecurity awareness eLearning
Port authorities and FPOE operators are legally required to inform us of material changes to their operations, facilities or processes. Examples include:
- a change to the availability or condition of relevant facilities or infrastructure at the port (such as a container stand or wash bay)
- the addition of new berths or operators within the port environment
- a significant increase in cruise traveller numbers
- a change to operations (such as commencing import of goods or vessels with specified standards).
Notify us of these changes by emailing biosecurityfirstpoints@aff.gov.au.