First points of entry (FPOE) are locations where aircraft and goods that are subject to biosecurity control are permitted to arrive. To be an FPOE, landing places must meet certain requirements.
When the Biosecurity Act commenced in June 2016, existing landing places were issued temporary determinations allowing them to continue to operate as first points of entry (FPOEs). These determinations expired in June 2019.
Ongoing determinations were made for landing places where all operators demonstrated full compliance with FPOE regulatory requirements.
Extensions to temporary determinations were granted to certain landing places unable to meet regulatory requirements within the required timeframe.
We are engaging with relevant operators at these landing places and ongoing determinations are being made for landing places that achieve compliance with the regulatory requirements.
The determination for Lord Howe Island Airport lapsed on 16 June 2020. This landing place is no longer recognised as an FPOE.
Determinations for current FPOE landing places are available on the Federal Register of Legislation.
Find the list of FPOE and their determinations.
Find information for aircraft arriving at FPOE or non-first points of entry.
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How to be determined an FPOE
FPOE Determinations are made for a geographical area or place. Because many entities operate within an airport location, managing biosecurity risk is a shared responsibility. Before a landing place can be determined as an FPOE, we must first assess its general eligibility based on the biosecurity risks posed by the airport’s operations.
Once we have determined that the risks can be acceptably managed, we assess all operators facilitating international arrivals at the landing place comply with regulatory standards.
If your landing place wishes to be determined as an FPOE, email biosecurityfirstpoints@aff.gov.au.
FPOE biosecurity standards
Before a landing place can be determined as an FPOE, it must also meet the requirements in section 56 of the Biosecurity Regulation 2016. The FPOE Biosecurity Standards describe what operators within FPOEs need to do to meet these regulatory requirements.
All entities operating at an FPOE are responsible for meeting the standards relevant to their part of the airport’s operations. These entities include airport authorities, third-party and fixed base operators leasing space, baggage handling and logistics agents, airlines and other logistical agents.
The standards ensure all operators facilitating international arrivals at the airport have the procedures and infrastructure in place to:
- manage the biosecurity risks associated with arriving aircraft, travellers and cargo
- respond to and report biosecurity or human biosecurity risks
- manage biosecurity waste appropriately
- support biosecurity officers to safely and effectively assess, inspect and treat goods under biosecurity control
- manage the environment around the landing place to reduce its receptivity to pests and diseases of biosecurity concern.
Download
| Document | Pages | File size |
|---|---|---|
First point of entry biosecurity standards (landing places) PDF | 27 | 516 KB |
First point of entry biosecurity standards (landing places) DOCX | 27 | 668 KB |
If you have difficulty accessing these files, please visit web accessibility.
Biosecurity risk response procedure template for FPOE operators
In order to demonstrate and maintain compliance with regulatory requirements, FPOE operators must have documented procedures in place for identifying, reporting and managing biosecurity risks associated with their operations.
Our template helps FPOE operators meet this obligation. The template contains the minimum requirements of a biosecurity risk response procedure. The template can be used by operators to develop a procedure specific to your site and operations.
Download
| Document | Pages | File size |
|---|---|---|
| Biosecurity risk response procedure template (landing places) DOCX | 3 | 42 KB |
If you have difficulty accessing the template or have questions about how to use it, email biosecurityfirstpoints@aff.gov.au.
Biosecurity awareness package for FPOE staff
Under Biosecurity Regulation 56(4)(a)&(b), all staff who are involved with facilitating international arrivals must be aware of the biosecurity risks posed by their operations and know how to report them.
Our biosecurity awareness package helps FPOE operators meet these obligations. The package:
- provides information about common and emerging biosecurity risks that you may see in an airport environment
- describes how you can work with us to minimise the risk of exotic pests and diseases entering Australia.
All staff working with international arrivals at first points of entry must complete the awareness package to achieve compliance with regulatory requirements.
Biosecurity awareness package
Changes and variations to FPOEs
Airport authorities and first point operators are legally required to inform the department of material changes to their operations, facilities or processes. Examples include:
- a change to the availability or condition of relevant facilities or infrastructure at the airport
- the addition of new operators within the airport environment
- a significant increase in arrivals
- a change to operations (such as commencing import of goods or aircraft with specified standards).
Notify us by emailing biosecurityfirstpoints@aff.gov.au .