19 December 2025
Who does this notice affect?
Biosecurity Industry Participants (BIPs) operating under approved arrangement class 19
Background
Approved arrangements reflect the shared responsibility of biosecurity. As part of the requirements to hold an approved arrangement, the Director of Biosecurity determines whether someone is a fit and proper person to carry out biosecurity activities. Outstanding debt to the Commonwealth of Australia is considered in determining if a person is fit and proper. The department conducts regular reviews of approved arrangement class 19 to ensure biosecurity industry participants are adhering to their obligations, including ensuring they do not have outstanding debt and have a current approved arrangement manager
What is driving this?
The department has an obligation to the Australian public to ensure biosecurity industry participants are meeting their responsibilities under the approved arrangements.
As outlined in the Biosecurity cost recovery implementation statement, cost recovery charges are applied to biosecurity industry participants in order for the department to manage the administration, policy processes and conditions set for regulatory arrangements approved by the department, which includes biosecurity approved arrangements.
Our biosecurity system is critical in protecting Australia’s economy, environment and way of life. An effective biosecurity system reduces the impact of pests and diseases on Australia’s agricultural, fisheries and forestry industries supporting sustainability, profitability and competitiveness, which helps drive a stronger Australian economy.
How is the department responding?
The department regularly conducts audits of approved arrangement class 19 biosecurity industry participants to assure:
- there is no overdue debt owed to the department; and
- there is at least one accredited person associated with the approved arrangement.
Approved arrangements that do not meet either of the above criteria will subsequently be issued with a notice of proposed suspension under section 418 of the Biosecurity Act 2015. Instances where grounds for suspension are considered serious and urgent may result in arrangements being suspended without prior written notice under subsection 418(2) of the Act.
Recent example
The Subdelegate of the Director of Biosecurity recently suspended without notice an approved arrangement class 19. The Subdelegate found that the biosecurity industry participant showed disregard for agreements with the Commonwealth, including failing to meet the terms of a deed they entered with the department to repay the debt of over $106,000. These actions were deemed as a serious and urgent biosecurity risk through failure to adhere to the requirements of their approved arrangement.
Further information
For any approved arrangement class 19 enquiries, please email Class19@aff.gov.au. For any AIMS account client or outstanding debt enquiries, please email ARhelpdesk@aff.gov.au