The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (the department) may impose conditions on imported biological goods, including conditions on how the goods can be used after they are imported into Australia. Some goods are only approved to be imported into Australia for a specific end use.
The following are examples of end uses that may be referenced in Biosecurity Import Conditions (BICON) cases or on import permits issued by the department:
- Bioremediation
- Fertiliser
- Human consumption
- In vitro use or in vivo use in laboratory organisms
- Pet food
- Stockfeed
- Veterinary therapeutics and medicines
The level of biosecurity risk associated with imported biological goods changes depending on how they are being used in Australia. Goods not exposed to Australian livestock are less likely to act as a vector for the introduction of infectious diseases into Australian animal populations.
Circumstances can change after goods are imported and importers or end users may need to seek approval from the department to repurpose their goods.
Applying for approval to change the end use of imported biological goods
Importers or end users seeking approval to change how imported biological goods are used in Australia should complete the following application form:
Download
| Document | Pages | File size |
|---|---|---|
| Application forms for a change to the end use of imported biological goods PDF | 2 | 231 KB |
| Application forms for a change to the end use of imported biological goods DOCX | 2 | 134 KB |
If you have difficulty accessing these files, visit web accessibility for assistance.
Completed forms may be emailed to the Client Contact Group.
Please note that an approval for a change in end use issued by the department is not an import permit. This means that importers cannot clear goods at the border using an approval for a change in end use.
Applicants wanting to import products into Australia must apply for an import permit.
Change in End Use – further information
Applications to change the end use of imported biological goods must include:
- the product name and catalogue number
- the name of the supplier and the number of the import permit used to import the product
- a list of ingredients in the imported goods
- brief details of the proposed new end use of the product
- the details of any approved arrangement site where goods will be processed and/or used.
Approved arrangements
The department uses approved arrangements (AAs) to manage the risk associated with imported goods. Conditions on permits can specify that imported biological goods must be contained and/or used only at an AA site. Some entities in Australia have qualified storage and/or processing facilities as AA sites.
AA site applications and enquiries should be directed to an AA site officer in your local region. Find out more about applying for an approved arrangement.