The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) has completed its comprehensive review of the biosecurity cost recovery arrangement. This follows their public consultation, which we have been reporting on recently. The outcome proposes changes to existing regulatory charging to align fees and charges with the cost to deliver biosecurity and imported food activities.
Following is a summary of the official notices issued over the past week.
DAFF issued Industry Advice Notice (IAN) 133-2023: Release of draft 2023-24 biosecurity Cost Recovery Implementation Statement (CRIS) to advise industry. It advises –
- That the draft CRIS has been published on DAFF’s website and includes proposed fees and charges for biosecurity and imported food regulatory activities, set to come into effect from 01 July 2023.
- The proposed fees and charges become final when amendments to relevant charging legislation have been approved.
Proposed new fees and charges for biosecurity and imported food regulatory activity.
The draft 2023-24 biosecurity CRIS contains the Minister’s approved fees and charges necessary to provide the level of regulatory activity that meets current volumes and risks. The CRIS also contains relevant information on DAFF’s authority to cost recover, its estimated costs, forecast volumes and cost recovery revenue for biosecurity regulatory activity. Financial tables show past performance and forecast costs for future years.
The CRIS will remain in draft form until the Federal Executive Council has approved the legislative amendments, which will give effect to the new fees and charges and amendments to definitions for certain regulatory activities.
New fees and charges for biosecurity and imported food regulatory activities are expected to commence on 01 July 2023.
DAFF also issued IAN 140-2023 – AND – IFN (Imported Food Notice) 07-23, which both carry the same title and basically say the same thing: ‘New fees and charges for biosecurity and imported food regulatory activities – commence 1 July 2023.’ They advise –
- the legislative amendments which give effect to new fees and charges for biosecurity and imported food regulatory activity have been approved
- new fees and charges for biosecurity and imported food regulatory activities will commence on 01 July 2023
- The 2023-24 biosecurity cost recovery implementation statement (CRIS), which sets out the new fees and charges, is available on DAFF’s website [HERE].
Key changes to regulatory charging
- Unit prices for biosecurity fees and charges across cost recovery activities.
- Importation charge structures and terms for horses, cats and dogs, and avians.
- The importation charge for animals entering the post entry quarantine facility will be split – 20% will be required as a non-refundable reservation charge and 80% payable on confirmation of reservation.
- More information about the drivers for these changes is available in the Proposed changes to regulatory charging for biosecurity activities – consultation paper.
Billing after 01 July 2023
As DAFF transitions to new fees and charges there will be changes on their invoices. There will be new prices, new codes and in some cases new descriptions. You may also see an old and a new price listed for the same service depending on when the regulatory activities you have been invoiced for were carried out.
On Monday 26 June, the ABF Cargo Support issued a corresponding notice: ‘Biosecurity Cost Recovery Charges for Air and Sea.’ It says that, as announced on 19 June 2023, the biosecurity cost recovery charges for air and sea will be increased from 01 July 2023. The revised charges are:
- Full Import Declaration (FID) charge-AIR: }
• Full Import Declaration (FID) charge-SEA: } Both increase by $5 each.
Please talk to us at Colless Young for advice on how the new fees affect your situation.
Colless Young is a Licensed Customs Broker and International Freight Forwarder. We offer professional advice on all aspects of import and export procedures, including clearance through Customs and Quarantine, at all Australian ports and airports. Our logistics services cover airfreight and sea cargo, including fumigation, warehousing and trucking.
