Scheduling arrangements for imported cargo inspections

Group appointments can only be requested by myID users of the Biosecurity Portal and are currently available for:

Group appointment availability may vary by region and depends on staff availability. The department may amend the eligible inspection types at any time.

Your appointment will be scheduled in the next available appointment within the inspection location operating hours. We may convert your request to multiple bookings to enable timely attendance.

To support efficient inspection processes and prevent unnecessary delays, please ensure you have any required documentation available, the goods are readily accessible, and a site representative is present and able to assist as required.

Preparing for your inspection will avoid cancellation, excessive fees and clearance delays.

Log in to the Biosecurity Portal with your myID and select ‘Inspection Requests’ and then ‘Request a group appointment’.

A list of Entry ID’s that require an inspection for your organisation will display. Select the Entry ID’s you wish to lodge an inspection request for. Please note:

• You may expand this list to view and select eligible directions.
• You must select at least 2 entries and no more than 4 entries.
• Selected directions must be at the same inspection location.
• Messages may appear to prompt corrective actions.

Use the start, next and previous buttons to navigate the form.

You must provide details of a contact person at the inspection location and other important consignment information including the date and time the goods will be available for inspection.

The ‘Summary screen’ provides an opportunity for you to review and amend your inspection request before submitting. Please read the declaration notice, privacy notice and our privacy policy before submitting your request form.

Select submit to finalise your request.

An email confirming successful submission will be issued with your group appointment Request ID.

Important information

• Group appointments cannot be requested by email.
• Group appointments are not available as To Meet or Overtime appointments.
• Currently you will be unable to see your request on the Biosecurity Portal Home Screen in your ‘Inspections Request’ or ‘Upcoming Bookings’ view. This will be delivered in a future update.
• Your appointment will be scheduled as soon as possible. We may convert your request to multiple attendances to ensure our officers can be deployed efficiently.
• You will be notified by email when your appointment has been booked, this will include a group appointment ID.
• Please quote your group appointment ID when contacting us about your request or booked appointment.

What you need to know

• Modification and cancellation requests must be submitted by email. This functionality will transition to the Biosecurity Portal in the future.
• You cannot substitute or add new directions to your group appointment request.
• You are unable to change the location of a booked appointment, please cancel and re-submit.
• Requests to change or cancel your booked appointment should be made at least one business day before our attendance.
• Fees may apply when an appointment is cancelled. This may include fees for any activities undertaken to prepare for the inspection, time on site providing a fee bearing activity, unused inspection time and for the time taken to reschedule the appointment.
• A full list of fees associated with inspection services are set out in the department’s charging guidelines.

How to modify or cancel your appointment

You may request a change to your group appointment by replying to your email notification or directly emailing us at importsRFI@agr iculture.gov.au. Please include your group appointment ID and the word MODIFY or CANCEL in the email subject line.

You must provide clear information to support your change request. We will review your request and issue an email notifying you of the outcome.

You can request a recurring appointment for a term no less than 8 weeks and no longer than 12 months.

Recurring appointments will follow the below schedule:

*subject to minimum threshold criteria.

The availability of appointment timeslots may vary due to regional capacity and constraints. When scheduling your appointment, we must ensure it does not:

• inhibit us from being able to inspect goods in accordance with any prioritisation requirements.
• unreasonably prevent other clients from accessing the departments inspection services.

We may schedule or attend recurring appointments flexibly (arrival time on the day is subject to change). Only the Inspection Types specifically included in your appointment agreement can be conducted during your appointments.

Either we or the arrangement holder can cancel or amend the arrangement at any time. This is subject to the following conditions:

• The entity no longer wants the arrangement.
• The arrangement is no longer needed as the volume of goods handled by the entity has reduced.
• The entity does not use officers for the full length of the appointment.
• The working conditions at the site are unsafe.
• A lack of available officers affects other entities.

We will give at least 5 business days’ notice before making any changes. If the premises is unsafe the notification period is within 24 hours of the change.

More information is available in the Cargo Scheduling Policy.

Your application must meet eligibility criteria and contain:

• the inspection types to be included
• data to support your request
• your preferred days and number of hours for attendance, and
• the start and end dates for your recurring appointments.

Incomplete applications or those without supporting documentation may not be assessed.

You can request a recurring appointment for a minimum 8 week schedule to cover any temporary increases in import volumes.

More information on eligibility criteria, approvals, declines and your right to request a review of a decision is available in the Cargo Scheduling Policy.

To apply for a recurring appointment, email the completed application form to recurringappointments@aff.gov.au. We will assess your request and provide written notification of the outcome.

You can find information about your approved recurring appointment in your appointment agreement.

Unless a specific time is agreed, your appointment start time may vary. We will attend within your site opening hours and our operating hours.

If your recurring appointment overlaps with a public holiday, it will not occur. You will need to request standard or group appointments.

Only the inspection types specifically included in your agreement can be conducted during your appointments.

Your recurring appointment will end on the date listed in your agreement. To extend your agreement, you must submit a new request at least 8 weeks before it ends. If your recurring appointment ends, you must book standard or group appointments until a new one is approved.

Modify an individual appointment

Requests to reduce the duration of an individual recurring appointment can be emailed to importsRFI@agr iculture.gov.au. Please include MODIFY in the email subject heading.

Entities should provide a minimum of 2 business days’ notice.

You cannot extend the duration of an individual appointment or request the addition of inspection types not included in your agreement.

If you require additional inspection time please request standard or group appointments. Any consignments requested in separately booked appointments should not be presented for inspection during your recurring appointment.

Amend your ongoing recurring appointment

To request an ongoing amendment to your existing recurring appointment, please submit a new application for assessment. This is required for any requests to change the:

• included inspection types
• attendance days
• number of officers, or
• appointment duration.

Renew your recurring appointment

To renew your recurring appointment, a new application must be submitted a minimum of 8-weeks before the expiration date. This will allow us time to assess your application and limit impacts to scheduling and the import clearance process.

If a request is not made and approved, your recurring appointment will cease on the end date listed in your agreement and you will be required to request inspections using the standard booking process.

Cancel an individual appointment

Ad-hoc requests to cancel appointments can be made in writing by emailing us at importsRFI@agr iculture.gov.au. Please include CANCEL in the email subject heading.

Entities should provide a minimum of 2 business days’ notice.

Fees may apply where activities were undertaken to prepare for the inspection. A full list of fees associated with inspection services are set out in the department’s charging guidelines.

Where the allotted appointment(s) are not being regularly utilised, the arrangement may be cancelled or amended.

Cancel your ongoing recurring appointment

Your recurring appointment will end on the date specified in your agreement.

You may cancel your recurring appointment if it is no longer required. Please notify us 5 business days prior to the change by emailing us at recurringappointments@aff.gov.au.