G/SPS/N/AUS/363/Add.3  
 
16 October 2015  
(15-5431)  Page: 1/2  
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION 
Addendum 
The following communication, received on 16 October 2015, is being circulated at the request of 
the Delegation of Australia. 
 
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 Release of draft Biosecurity Import Risk Analysis (BIRA) guidelines: consultation period extended 
The Department of Agriculture and Water Resources released the draft Biosecurity Import Risk 
Analysis guidelines 2015 (BIRA guidelines) on 16 October 2015. Interested stakeholders are 
invited to comment on these draft BIRA guidelines through a submission process. This is part of 
the current consultation on the exposure draft Biosecurity (Biosecurity Import Risk Analyses) 
Regulation (BIRA Regulation) 2015. 
Following the release of the draft BIRA guidelin es, the submission period for the draft BIRA 
Regulation 2015 has now been extended to 16 December 2015. 
International trading partners are invited to provide comments on the BIRA guidelines through the 
BIRA Regulation 2015 submission process. 
Information on the submission process is available at: 
http://www.agriculture.gov.au /biosecuritylegislation  or contact the Biosecurity Legislation 
Implementation Section at newbiosecuritylegislation@agriculture.gov.au. 
The development of the BIRA regulations and guidelines is part of the Biosecurity Act 2015 
implementation. The Biosecurity Act 2015 commences  on 16 June 2016. There will be no changes 
to the IRA process until commencement of the Biosecurity Act 2015. 
This addendum concerns a: 
[X] Modification of final date for comments 
[ ] Notification of adoption, publication or entry into force of regulation 
[ ] Modification of content and/or scope of  previously notified draft regulation 
[ ] Withdrawal of proposed regulation 
[ ] Change in proposed date of adoption, publication or date of entry into force 
[X] Other: Public consultation has commenced for the draft Biosecurity (Biosecurity 
Import Risk Analyses) Regulation 2015.  
Comment period: (If the addendum extends the scope of the previously notified 
measure in terms of products and/or potent ially affected Members, a new deadline for 
receipt of comments should be provided, norm ally of at least 60 calendar days. Under 
other circumstances, such as extension of or iginally announced final date for comments, 
the comment period provided in the addendum may vary.)  
[ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the addendum to the notification and/or 
(dd/mm/yy) : 16 December 2015 G/SPS/N/AUS/363/Add.3 
 
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  Agency or authority designated to handle co mments: [X] National Notification Authority, 
[X] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of 
other body: 
The Australian SPS Notification Point 
GPO Box 858 
Canberra ACT 2601 Australia 
Fax: +(61 2) 6272 3678 
E-mail: sps.contact@agriculture.gov.au 
Specific inquires about the new legislation and implementation process may be sent to: 
Service Delivery Division 
Biosecurity Legislation Implementation Program Office 
Department of Agriculture GPO Box 858 Canberra ACT 2601 
E-mail: newbiosecuritylegislation@agriculture.gov.au  
Text(s) available from: [X] National Notificati on Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point. 
Address, fax number and e-mail addre ss (if available) of other body: 
The Australian SPS Notification Point 
GPO Box 858 Canberra ACT 2601 Australia 
Fax: +(61 2) 6272 3678 
E-mail: sps.contact@agriculture.gov.au  
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