16 May 2024
Who does this notice affect?
Pre-border biosecurity treatment providers and clients in the import and shipping industries—including freight forwarders, importers, and customs brokers associated with importing goods that require brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) treatment during the BMSB risk season (goods manufactured in or shipped from target risk countries, that have been shipped between 1 September and 30 April (inclusive)as sea cargo)
What has changed?
The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry would like to provide notice regarding upcoming policy change. We are introducing a new pre-border treatment provider assurance scheme called AusTreat.
AusTreat is a government-to-industry scheme that will replace the existing Offshore BMSB Treatment Provider scheme and set the conditions for the regulation of pre-border biosecurity treatment providers.
AusTreat will increase the consistency and coverage of Australia’s regulation of pre-border treatment providers, keeping biosecurity risk offshore.
Notable changes under AusTreat will include:
- Registered treatment providers must submit all treatment certificates, record of treatments and other treatment data into our treatment certificate portal, increasing assurance and improving clearance times for compliant treatments.
- Registration of pre-border treatment providers will change from a 1-year renewal process to a full registration process every 3 years.
- Only some information will need to be provided annually to maintain registration including:
- calibration certificates
- stewardship certificates for sulfuryl fluoride
- The contact email BMSBtreatments@aff.gov.au will be replaced with offshoretreatments@aff.gov.au however, both email accounts will be monitored during the transition period.
What’s not changing:
- Import conditions
- The list of treatment providers
- BMSB seasonal measures
From 1 September 2024, treatments conducted in BMSB target risk countries on target high risk goods manufactured in, or shipped from target risk countries, will be required to be conducted by a treatment provider registered under AusTreat and listed as approved on the list of treatment providers.
Future state
AusTreat has been designed to enable assurance over a wide range of target pests, treatment types and treatment providers. The scheme will have the flexibility to respond to changes in risk over time.
If a new pest emerges as a biosecurity threat to Australia, treatment providers conducting treatments for that pest will be able to register under AusTreat. This eliminates the need to develop new pest-specific schemes following the emergence of new biosecurity pests.
Note: AusTreat will not replace or impact the Australian Fumigation Accreditation Scheme (AFAS) as this remains unchanged as a government-to-government scheme.
We will release further information prior to the start of the BMSB season.
Further information
If you have any questions, please contact Compliance Partnerships at offshoretreatments@aff.gov.au.
Please see the department’s list of treatment providers.