25 January 2022
Who does this notice affect?
All Operators of premises that departmental officers may attend (for inspection, audit, surveillance or other purposes).
What has changed?
Following the emergence of COVID positive cases within Third Party Premises in 2020, the department wrote to Biosecurity Industry Participants (BIPs)/Premises Operators to advise requirements for reporting COVID positive cases as they were detected in Approved Arrangements/Third Party Premises. This was for the purpose of taking all reasonably practicable steps as shared duty holders under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, to ensure the health and safety of all our workers.
With the emergence of the Omicron strain of COVID-19 and several recently announced revisions to state based health settings, the department is adjusting its COVID reporting requirements for Third Party Premises.
From 26 January 2022, the department will no longer require establishments to notify the department of ‘every’ positive COVID-19 case on the premises. Rather, the department will only require BIPs/Premises Operators to notify the department of a positive COVID-19 case on the premises if a known positive case has had any interaction with a departmental officer, or where a known positive case has had interaction with the DAWE work area at the premises within their infectious period.
In this case, the reporting should occur as soon as practically possible through the
agriccc@aff.gov.au mailbox and making sure to include “COVID NOTIFICATION” and the relevant State or Territory in the subject field of the email.
We will in turn notify you and comply with the requirements outlined above if this applies to any of our employees that access your workplace or may have come into contact with your employees in our workplace.
We look forward to continuing to work with you and your people to continue to support and enable our business in a COVIDSafe manner.
Further information
For further information about this Industry Advice Notice, please email agriccc@aff.gov.au making sure to include “COVID NOTIFICATION” and the relevant State or Territory in the subject field of your email.