Changes and variations to approved arrangements

Changes and variations to approved arrangements can only be made by a biosecurity industry participant that has an existing approved arrangement. If you are applying for a new approved arrangement and you wish to propose alternative measures to those set in the class requirements, you will need to include these details in your application for an approved arrangement.

Your approved arrangement manager or site contact must advise the department at least 15 business days prior to the proposed date of any changes to your approved arrangement.

Only the approved arrangement manager or site contact listed by the department for the approved arrangement, can make changes on behalf of the entity about the approved arrangement.

Requests made by people not listed on the arrangement will not be accepted.

This section applies to the current holder of the approved arrangement.

If you sell your business that holds an approved arrangement, you cannot transfer your ABN, legal entity or the approved arrangement to the new owner.

As the holder of the approved arrangement, you must submit an application to revoke and follow the standard revocation process. Find out about our revocation process: revocation process.

Do your research

Before you consider buying a business make sure you have done your research first.

When purchasing a business that holds an approved arrangement, the approved arrangement does not transfer with the purchase.

As the new owner, you will need to obtain a new Australian Business Number (ABN) and or can and establish a new legal entity. Then you must apply for a new approved arrangement under your own ABN and legal entity name via our online portal.

Biosecurity activities cannot start until we approve the application for the new legal entity.

This section applies to current registered holders of an approved arrangement.

Here are some example scenarios you may encounter.

Change to legal entity name only

(With no change to legal structure, ABN, or company ACN) 

If your legal entity name changes but your business structure, ABN, and company ACN remain the same, you must notify the department.

What a legal entity name is

The legal entity name is the official name used on all legal documents. It may differ from your business name.

What you need to do

  1. Complete the form – Change in Legal Entity Application Form
  2. Email the form to: aa.canberra@aff.gov.au

Change to the Australian Business Number (ABN)

(With no change to legal entity name, or business structure)

If your ABN changes, but your legal entity name, and business structure remain the same, you must notify the department.

What you need to do

  1. Complete the form – Change in Legal Entity Application Form
  2. Email the form to: aa.canberra@aff.gov.au

Change to business name only

(Previously referred to as Trading Name)

If your business name changes, but your legal entity name remains the same, you must notify the department.

The business name is the name you trade under and may differ from your legal entity name.

The legal entity name is the official name registered on legal documents.

What You Need to Do

  1. Update your business name details using the Approved Arrangement Management Product (AAMP)

If you have difficulty accessing these files, contact us for help.

This section applies to current registered holders of an approved arrangement.

Changes to legal entity (business structure)

You must notify us if there are any changes to your legal entity (business structure), as this may impact your approved arrangement.

What is a legal entity?

A legal entity refers to the type of business structure you operate. Examples of when you may need to cancel your ABN include:

  • individual/sole trader to partnership
  • partnership to company
  • individual/sole trader to company

Examples of legal entities:

  • sole trader
  • company
  • university
  • other registered business types

Important

If you change your business structure (e.g., from a sole trader to a company), and this results in changes to all three:

  • Australian Business Number (ABN)
  • Legal entity (business structure)
  • Legal entity name

You are required to:

Find out about Updating or cancelling your ABN | ABR.

Audit requirements

A pre-approval audit may not be required if:

  • There are no changes to biosecurity activities, AA manager, accredited persons, or site contacts.
  • Your compliance history under your previous legal entity, which operated an approved arrangement was satisfactory.

The need for an audit is assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Fees

Where the new legal entity does not have any other approved arrangements with the department, the new application and annual charges will apply.

Any fees or charges previously paid for the previous legal entity cannot be transferred to the new arrangement.

Find out about our fees and charges for approved arrangements.

Where a biosecurity industry participant advises of a change in physical address, a new application is required and a pre-approval audit of the new physical address must be passed before the delegate can approve the approved arrangement. A revocation application is required to close the old site.

If the site is part of a co-located network, please include details of what changes need to be made to the network.

Note: For classes that have mobile operations (inclusive of classes 2.4.1, 12.1, 12.2, 12.3, 10.2, 10.6 and 43.1), an email from the approved arrangements manager or site contact to Approved Arrangements with the new address is sufficient.

Audit rate

If approved, the approved arrangement is subject to the probation audit rate. Further information about audits and audit rates can be found in the approved arrangement general policies.

A change to the approved arrangement manager can only be made if the manager is replaced by another AA manager.

Contact changes made in AAMP only update the approved arrangement.

Invoice/account contact changes must be emailed to Accounts Receivable & Debt Management.

Import permit contact changes must be updated via BICON.

Updates to the approved arrangement details are made using the Approved Arrangement Management Product (AAMP).

Use AAMP to update information such as:

  • adding or removing people associated with the approved arrangement e.g. AA manager or site contacts
  • updating the contact details for people associated with the approved arrangement
  • updating the trading name for the approved arrangement
  • updating the contact details for the approved arrangement e.g. phone number or email address
  • giving or withdrawing consent for the department to publish details of the approved arrangement on its website

Instructions and access to AAMP

Instructions on how to get started can be found in the following user guides:

To access AAMP, sign up and log in Approved Arrangement Management Product (AAMP).

Further information

Further information about AAMP is available at Approved Arrangement Management Product (AAMP).

If you are unable to login to AAMP or are unable to make changes in AAMP, email aa.canberra@aff.gov.au putting AAMP in the subject line.

Please email Approved arrangements with the updated details of any changes to your biosecurity areas. Examples of changes include:

  • an increase or reduction in size
  • a relocation of existing biosecurity area within the same physical approved arrangement site​
  • a change in location of a biosecurity containment boundary of a biosecurity area
  • a change in the structure of a containment boundary of a biosecurity area.

Please include with your email a site map identifying the existing areas and proposed areas, with photographs (where possible) of the proposed changes.

Please ensure the site map includes accurate and precise representation and measurement of the shapes and dimensions of the current and proposed biosecurity areas.

For biocontainment sites approved arrangement classes 5.2 – 5.4, also provide a copy of the third-party assessment reports, where applicable.

When making changes to the biosecurity area, you must ensure any changes made do not compromise the integrity of the biosecurity area, thereby compromising the management of the intended risk. Regardless of the changes, the biosecurity area must satisfy class requirements for which the approved arrangement site is approved.

A change to a biosecurity area may result in an onsite audit/visit by the department. This will be assessed by the department on a case-by-case basis.

Class 10.6 approved arrangements manage the transport of waste that is subject to biosecurity control.  Vehicles used to transport waste must be approved by AA Canberra.

To make changes to approved vehicles you will need to:

  • Complete the change to approved vehicle declaration form and include details of the change (i.e., remove or add vehicle/vessel)
  • Email the declaration to Approved Arrangements, along with any relevant attachments (i.e. photographs of new vehicles).
  • Requests must be submitted by the approved arrangement manager or site contact.

Note:

  • When adding new vehicles for approval, the vehicle must be equipped to deal with the spillage of biosecurity waste, and carry appropriate equipment (such as brooms, shovels, buckets, absorbent litter, tarpaulins and department-approved disinfectant).
  • This change request may result in an onsite audit/visit by the department. The need to conduct an audit will be determined by the department on a case-by-case basis.
  • Assessment charges will apply, please refer to the department's website for details.

Please contact the department for more information.

Download

If you have difficulty accessing these files, contact us for help.

The below application to vary an approved arrangement is required when a biosecurity industry participant wants to add or remove:

  • classes
  • biosecurity activities: this includes changes to onsite and offsite biosecurity activities.

Fees

Variation applications will be charged fee-for-service rates for the time taken to assess the application. The average assessment time is five hours although some applications may take longer. If the assessment time is expected to be longer than seven hours, the department will contact you to see if you wish to proceed. Find out more on fees and charges.

Where a biosecurity industry participant wants to vary the class requirements of an existing approved arrangement, the below application to vary an approved arrangement is required.

Fees

Find out about our fees and charges for approved arrangements.

Variation requested must be made by completing the application to vary an approved arrangement. Please contact Approved Arrangements for more information on how to apply.

Note, application to vary must be accompanied by the following supporting information, if applicable to the change you are requesting:

  • a site plan
  • technical specifications for proposed alternate processes
  • efficacy data for proposed alternate treatments.
  • approved SOP/SOM/PMS by the relevant risk owners

Download

If you have difficulty accessing these files, contact us for help.

Applications for a variation to existing class requirements are technical and have a consideration period of 120 days. All other applications have a 90-day consideration period.

Please contact Approved Arrangements for more information regarding the variation process.

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