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Department of Agriculture

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Biosecurity and trade
  3. Export
  4. Controlled export goods
  5. Exporting live animals
  6. Livestock
  7. Livestock exporters
  8. Approved arrangements

Sidebar first - Export

  • Livestock exporters
    • Become a livestock exporter
    • Exporting a livestock consignment
    • Export licence
    • Approved Arrangements
    • Approved export program
    • Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS)
      • Apply, vary and maintain your ESCAS
    • Independent observers
    • Exemptions
    • TRACE

Approved arrangements

If you export livestock, you will need to apply for an approved arrangement (AA).

What is an approved arrangement?

An AA outlines each step in your preparation of livestock for export. It also describes the governance arrangements of your business.

Your AA describes how your exported livestock will meet:

  • the Australian Standards for the Export of Livestock (ASEL)
  • importing country requirements
  • other relevant federal, state and territory legislation.

In some cases, you may be eligible for an exemption to an AA.

If you are a new exporter, you can apply for an export licence, AA and approved export program (AEP) at the same time.

We provide information on how to apply and what you will need.

You must vary your AA if there are changes or new components.

Complete the application form

Complete the relevant sections of the Application to vary a livestock export licence, approved arrangement or approved export program form.

Submit

Submit the new or varied components of the AA and the application form to livestockexp@aff.gov.au.

Assessment

We will contact you if we require more information.

We will notify you in writing as to the outcome of your application.

We assess applications in accordance with our client service standards. We will inform you of your application status if there are delays. See our service standards.

We charge a time-based fee for variations in line with our charging guidelines

You must comply with your AA requirements at all times. If there are any changes to how you export livestock , check if we require a variation.

Non-compliance may impact your performance rating and level of regulatory oversight.

We provide information on how to export a consignment under an AA.

Record keeping

You must be able to provide documents at any time on request for auditing purposes to demonstrate compliance with the AA.

More information is in our performance management and compliance guidelines.

Auditing

To maintain your AA, we need to audit your AA. How often we audit you will depend on:

  • your exporter performance level
  • your impact level rating
  • the outcome of each audit.

If we need further audits, we will discuss this with you.

More information is in our performance management and compliance guidelines.

Approved arrangement guidelines

Download

Approved Arrangement Guidelines for the export of livestock (PDF 1.08 MB)
Approved Arrangement Guidelines for the export of livestock (DOCX 1.16 MB)

If you have difficulty accessing these files, visit web accessibility for assistance.

Alternative minimum pen space

You can apply to access alternative minimum pen space allocation. This is only for cattle exported by sea under ASEL. Exporters must meet the criteria of the policy to access this.

Download

Alternative minimum pen space allocation policy (PDF 300 KB)
Alternative minimum pen space allocation policy (DOCX 456 KB)

If you have difficulty accessing these files, visit web accessibility for assistance.

We monitor and manage the performance of exporters with an AA.

AAs allow us to:

  • focus on areas of highest risk
  • recognise the efforts of compliant exporters.

We vary our level of regulatory oversight depending on your performance over time.

Our oversight may:

  • increase based on poor performance
  • remain unchanged based on marginal performance
  • reduce based on compliant performance.

Your performance level impacts on the:

  • documents you need to submit to the department
  • livestock inspections required by our veterinary officer
  • frequency of audits.

Performance management and compliance guidelines

These guidelines provide an outline of the performance management and compliance framework we apply to exporters under AAs.

Download

Performance management and compliance guidelines (PDF 1.2 MB)
Performance management and compliance guidelines (DOCX 1.90 MB)

Fact sheet: Performance management and compliance guidelines (PDF 165 KB)
Fact sheet: Performance management and compliance guidelines (DOCX 244 KB)

If you have difficulty accessing these files, visit web accessibility for assistance.

There is an application fee for applying and varying an AA.

There is a fee for audits. This may still apply if we attend, and you are not prepared.

We charge a fee each year for maintaining your AA. We base this fee on the mode of transport and amount of livestock exported.

See our charging guidelines.

General enquiries

Call 1800 900 090

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Page last updated: 08 July 2024

We acknowledge the continuous connection of First Nations Traditional Owners and Custodians to the lands, seas and waters of Australia. We recognise their care for and cultivation of Country. We pay respect to Elders past and present, and recognise their knowledge and contribution to the productivity, innovation and sustainability of Australia’s agriculture, fisheries and forestry industries.

Artwork: Protecting our Country, Growing our Future
© Amy Allerton, contemporary Aboriginal Artist of the Gumbaynggirr, Bundjalung and Gamilaroi nations.

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