14 April 2025
Who does this notice affect?
Import-related biosecurity treatment stakeholders, including all importers, brokerages, onshore approved arrangement holders, overseas government and industry treatment providers, relevant domestic state and territory government agencies, and other shipping, freight, and logistics peak industry bodies.
What has changed?
This is a reminder that the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (the department) will implement version 3.0 of the Methyl Bromide Fumigation Methodology on 1 May 2025.
Version 3.0 is hosted on our ‘Prepare now’ webpage. Review the document to familiarise yourself with the requirements.
All methyl bromide fumigations with a start date and time at or after 1 May 2025 00:00 (midnight local time) must adhere to the new requirements. Local time means the place where the fumigation was performed.
There are a number of useful materials available on the webpage to support your transition to the new methodology:
- Guide to performing QPS fumigations with methyl bromide
- Guide to packaging suitability for performing QPS treatments
- Summary of key changes placemat
- Detailed comparison document
- New treatment certificate and record of fumigation templates
Treatment documentation
As part of these changes there are minor changes to the minimum documentation requirements for both the record of fumigation and treatment certificate. These minimum requirements are listed in version 3.0 of the methodology in section 12 Documentation.
Please note: to ensure a smooth transition to the new requirements, Australia will continue to accept treatment certificates issued under the version 2.0 requirements until 30 June 2025. After this date, treatment certificates must comply with the requirements of version 3.0 of Australia’s Methyl Bromide Fumigation Methodology.
New templates are available on our webpage. A summary of the changes are described below:
Record of fumigation requirements:
- pass/fail must be indicated
- consignment suitability question must be answered
- serial number for monitoring device must be recorded
- fumigator initials for each concentration reading must be recorded.
Treatment certificate requirements:
- an updated declaration that the consignment complies with the treatment schedule, import conditions, and all requirements of the Methyl Bromide Fumigation Methodology
- the date fumigation commenced
- importer/exporter address has turned into client address and place of fumigation.
Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) treatment documentation requirements:
- all BMSB specific requirements are now included in the general methyl bromide Record of Fumigation
- a BMSB specific treatment certificate template has been updated and must still be used for all BMSB treatments conducted. The template will be available on the ‘Prepare now’ webpage shortly. If you need a copy of the template urgently, please reach out to offshoretreatments@aff.gov.au.
Further information
This notice relates to the previous industry advice notices below:
- Methyl Bromide and other biosecurity treatment updates – information sessions for Australian industry (93-2025)
- Methyl Bromide Fumigation Methodology version 3.0 Preborder stakeholder information session (71-2025)
- Methyl bromide fumigation methodology – Prepare now for 2025 update (174-2024)
- Industry consultation on the Methyl Bromide Fumigation Methodology open (13-2023)
- Methyl Bromide Fumigation Methodology - updated publication date (267-2023)
For further information about version 3.0 of the Methyl Bromide Fumigation Methodology, please visit our webpage.
If you have any questions, please email offshoretreatments@aff.gov.au.