Advice from the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources
On 16 June 2016 Australia’s new Commonwealth Biosecurity Act comes into force.
One of the key changes being implemented is the change in the offshore boundary that defines Australian Territory: the current Quarantine Act uses 200nm and the Biosecurity Act uses 12nm. As a result, waters greater than 12nm from shore are considered as ‘international’ under the Biosecurity Act.
At present, some goods collected or caught in international waters must meet import conditions for import into Australia. The change to 12nm has meant that some stakeholders and their goods that were not previously regulated would, at face value, be affected by the requirement to meet import conditions and potentially require an import permit.
Industries that could be affected by this change include: researchers collecting samples from the ocean or the ocean floor past 12nm, and fishers catching fish past 12nm.
However, the Department will exempt all goods sourced from the ocean or ocean floor between 12 and 200nm (i.e. within Australia’s Exclusive Economic Zone) from requiring any import conditions (including import permits). This exemption will be provided through an amendment to the draft Biosecurity (Prohibited and Conditionally Non-Prohibited Goods) Determination 2016, currently available for comment on our website until 17 May 2016.
If you have any questions about the change from 200 to 12nm please contact Mr David Ironside (david.ironside@agriculture.gov.au).
For further information about the Biosecurity Act please visit: www.agriculture.gov.au/biosecuritylegislation.