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Rotterdam Convention

The Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent  Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade (the Rotterdam Convention) is a multilateral agreement which establishes a procedure for obtaining and exchanging information between countries regarding certain hazardous chemicals. The Rotterdam convention covers pesticides and industrial chemicals that have been banned or severely restricted for health or environmental reasons by Parties.

History of COAG reforms

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​​Background

In 2006, the Council of Australian Governments’ (COAG) acknowledged that agricultural chemicals and veterinary medicines (agvet chemical) regulation required reform and established a Ministerial Taskforce to develop an updated and harmonised national system for plastics a

Harmonisation of Veterinary Prescribing and Compounding Rights for Veterinary Practitioners (VPCR) – Treatment of livestock

HACCUT undertook two rounds of public consultation in April and November 2018 on the proposal: The National Harmonisation of Minimum Veterinary Prescribing and Compounding Regulatory Requirements for Veterinary Practitioners – Treatment of Livestock. HACCUT has considered all submissions and will present a draft proposal to the Agriculture Senior Officials Committee for endorsement by early 2021.

Applying for an approved arrangement

When assessing your application for an approved arrangement, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry considers:

  • the nature of the goods that will be managed under the approved arrangement
  • any biosecurity risks posed by those goods
  • if you are a fit and proper person to carry out biosecurity activities – this includes any debt that your entity owes to the department.

The department can provide you with general advice prior to lodging an application.