The Animal Welfare Task Group (AWTG) promotes the national consistency of farm animal welfare regulations across jurisdictions and oversees the development and review of standards and guidelines for farm animals. It resolves animal welfare policy and regulatory matters which have national and inter-jurisdictional scope and delivers on animal welfare priorities of national interest referred to it by the Agriculture Senior Officials’ Committee (AGSOC).

The AWTG is responsible for:

All international aircraft arriving in Australian territory must land at a landing place that has been determined a first point of entry (FPOE) under section 223 of the Biosecurity Act 2015, unless we grant permission to land at a non-first point of entry (under subsection 239(2) of the Act).

This ensures that aircraft enter Australia at a location that has appropriate facilities and personnel to manage the biosecurity risks to an acceptable level.

​​​When planning to import goods, you will need to ensure that the airport or seaport of first arrival is approved to land your goods. You are also required to provide information to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and to the Department of Home Affairs about your goods.

About the SAC declaration

To import goods into Australia, you must lodge a SAC declaration if the goods:

• are valued at AUD $1000 or less
• arrive by air or sea

A SAC declaration is NOT required for goods that:

The SCHS is a voluntary biosecurity agreement that seeks to manage biosecurity risk associated with sea containers arriving in Australia from Country Action List (CAL) countries at the port of loading.

Participants in the SCHS can benefit from reduced intervention on arrival in Australia. Onshore container inspections can reduce to as low as five per cent, delivering benefits to participants through reduced inspection, cleaning and treatment fees, as well as reduced container dwell-times on wharf.

The recognised offshore cleaning and pre-inspection providers (ROCIP) scheme ensures that used passenger vehicles and motorcycles exported from a recognised facility and load ports arrive in Australia free from biosecurity risk material.

Recognised providers clean used passenger vehicles or motorcycles, both internally and externally, to remove contamination, prior to offshore pre-inspection. Further inspection is also required upon arrival in Australia.

Arrangements under the scheme are voluntary and may be reviewed at the department’s discretion.