Who does this notice affect?
This notice is of interest to importers and customs brokers who import containerised fertiliser classified as a hazardous chemical.
What has changed?
Importers and brokers are required to lodge all relevant safety information pertaining to hazardous chemicals, to comply with their obligations under Chapter 7 of the Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011. This includes supplying the department with a manufacturer’s safety data sheet for the goods. This is stated in the updated import conditions for mined and chemical fertilisers.
This notice is a reminder for importers and customs brokers to provide safety documentation to the department when lodging import documentation for clearance. A copy of the manufacturer’s safety data sheet must be made available to the inspecting biosecurity officer prior to the commencement of the inspection.
If the import documentation is lodged in the Cargo Online lodgment System (COLS), all safety documentation must be uploaded along with other import documentation. Importers and customs brokers must also provide a copy of the manufacturer’s safety data sheet to Inspections Group (IG) biosecurity officers, prior to the commencement of inspection.
If the consignment has been lodged through Automatic Entry Processing for Commodities (AEPCOMM) and therefore import documents are not lodged in COLS; the manufacturer’s safety data sheet and other consignment documentation must be presented to the IG biosecurity officer prior to the commencement of the inspection. These requirements will be noted on the automated biosecurity direction for all fertiliser AEPCOMM lodgements subject to inspection.
The import conditions for mined and chemical fertiliser in BICON have been updated to include an information notice to reflect this requirement, effective 17 September 2020.
Further information
Please contact Sea Cargo on 1800 900 090 or email imports@aff.gov.au