5 December 2024
Who does this notice affect?
All internal and external stakeholders who may require Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry regulatory services during the 2024 -2025 Christmas and New Year period.
What has changed?
The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Canberra Office will cease operations from close of business on Tuesday 24 December 2024 and will re-open at the commencement of business on Thursday 2 January 2025.
Further Information
The Canberra switchboard will cease operations from close of business Tuesday 24 December 2024 until the commencement of business on Thursday 2 January 2025.
The Department’s general enquiries line (1800 900 090) will not operate during the periods noted as ‘Closed’ in the table below.
Self-Assessed Clearance assessment services will operate as normal over the shutdown period.
Department regulatory services available during this period are outlined in the below table:
| Date | Office Status | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday 24/12/2024 | Open | Normal regulatory services available. |
| Wednesday 25/12/2024 and Thursday 26/12/2024 | Closed | Limited regulatory services available. Import and export inspection appointments for these days must be requested prior to close of business on Friday 20 December 2024. Note: Overtime requests for import document assessment and treatment result assessment must be submitted prior to 11am on Tuesday 24 December 2024. Acceptance will remain subject to officer availability. Public Holiday/Weekend – Fee bearing regulatory functions conducted on these days will be subject to overtime charges. |
| Friday 27/12/2024 | Open - Limited Regulatory Capacity | Limited regulatory services available. Import and export inspection appointments for these days must be requested prior to close of business on Friday 20 December 2024. Note: Overtime requests for import document assessment and treatment result assessment must be submitted prior to 11am Friday 27 December 2024. Acceptance will remain subject to officer availability. |
| Saturday 28/12/2024 and Sunday 29/12/2024 | Closed | Limited regulatory services available. Import and export inspection appointments for these days must be requested prior to close of business on Friday 20 December 2024. Note: Overtime requests for import document assessments and treatment result for assessments must be submitted prior to 11am on Friday 27 December 2024. Acceptance will remain subject to officer availability. Public Holiday/Weekend – Fee bearing regulatory functions conducted on these days will be subject to overtime charges. Public Holiday/Weekend – Fee bearing regulatory functions conducted on these days will be subject to overtime charges. |
| Monday 30/12/2024 Tuesday 31/12/2024 | Open – Limited Regulatory Capacity | Limited regulatory services available. Import and export inspection appointments for these days must be requested prior to close of business on Friday 20 December 2024. Overtime requests for import document assessments and treatment result for assessments between Tuesday 31 December 2024 and Wednesday 1 January 2025 must be submitted prior to 11am on Monday 30 December 2024. Public Holiday/Weekend – Fee bearing regulatory functions conducted on these days will be subject to overtime charges. |
| Wednesday 1/01/2025 | Closed | Limited regulatory services available. Import and export inspection appointments for these days must be requested prior to close of business on Friday 20 December 2024. |
| Thursday 02/01/2025 | Open | Normal regulatory services available. |
Imports Document Assessment and Inspection
Online portals and lodgement systems will be available for use over this period. However, services will only be conducted by departmental staff during hours of operation specified above. All departmental functions will resume at the commencement of business on Thursday 2 January 2025.
The forms for requesting overtime for import document assessment and treatment result assessment are available here.
Self-Assessed Clearance assessment services will operate as normal over the shutdown period.
Exports Document Assessment Services
- Assessment Services Exports will be closed on the following days:
- Wednesday, 25 December and Thursday, 26 December 2024
- Wednesday, 1 January 2025.
- Assessment Services Exports will be open on the following days:
- Friday 27 December 2024
- Monday 30 December 2024
- Tuesday 31 December 2024
- Our regular client service standards apply during this period, it is your obligation to submit correctly completed documents, allowing Assessment Services Exports:
- 1 business days to process your air freight lodgement.
- 3 business days to process your sea freight lodgement.
- Clients requiring Request for Permit (RFP) authorisations and/or certificate collections on the days where our offices are closed will be required to submit an overtime request to:
- For Plant Exports - Assessment Services Exports – Plant (NDH).
- For Food Exports - Assessment Services Exports – Food
- Clients submitting overtime requests are required to use the following email subject header:
- Client Query – OT Application; [insert day, date, time] Client: [insert client name]
- Overtime request emails for service on 25, 26, 28 and 29 December 2024 (where our offices are closed), must be sent by 11am (AEDT) on Monday, 23 December 2024.
- Overtime request emails for service on 1 January 2025 (where our offices are closed), must be sent by 11am (AEDT) on Monday, 30 December 2024.
If you have any questions regarding the above information, please email Assessment Services Exports – Plant (NDH) or Food Exports - Assessment Services Exports – Food.
Please refer to any other advice issued via the department’s website to specific services.
Unless otherwise specified, contact details for the department and regional offices can be found at: Contact us
Overtime fees (when applicable) will be charged in accordance with the department’s charging guidelines, which can be found on the department’s website.
Please call the department’s general inquiry line 1800 900 090 if further information is required. If you identify something of concern that may have entered Australia with imported goods report it to See Secure Report on 1800 798 636 or complete the online form. For urgent inquiries, please contact 1800 798 636.
The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry staff would like to take this opportunity to wish all our stakeholders the very best for the coming holiday period.
We thank you for your cooperation throughout this year and look forward to continuing to work together to protect Australia's strong biosecurity status in 2025.