Further to the notices issued at the beginning of this week, the Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) has today issued notice no. 64-2024: ‘Changes to regulatory charges for biosecurity and imported food activities.’
In 2023 DAFF completed a comprehensive review of the Biosecurity Cost Recovery Arrangement, resulting in new regulatory charges that commenced on 01 July last year.
In conjunction with those new charges, DAFF committed to an annual review of regulatory charges and made changes to legislation to include indexation.
They say that their aim with this approach to pricing is to avoid large price increases in the future and provide opportunity for more frequent engagement with stakeholders on changes to fees and charges.
In line with this goal, DAFF will this year embed the annual review cycle and apply indexation to regulatory fees and charges. These changes will commence on 01 July 2024.
An updated schedule of prices and current cost to deliver regulatory activities will be provided in the 2024-25 Biosecurity Cost Recovery Implementation Statement (CRIS). The draft of the 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 for industry 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.
As they did at this time last year, DAFF will publish a draft CRIS in April 2024 through their ‘Have Your Say’, platform, and will provide details of these changes.
It is anticipated that the Australian Border Force (ABF) will, in the next couple of months, issue a corresponding announcement regarding an increase in the biosecurity cost recovery charges for air and sea Full Import Declarations (FID).
For more information about Biosecurity procedures, treatments and charges, contact us here at Colless Young. As licensed Customs Brokers and International Freight Forwarders, we offer you correct, professional advice on your import cargo, by both air and sea. We are based in Brisbane and handle your logistics needs, including export shipping, warehousing and trucking – at all major Australian ports and airports.
