G/SPS/N/AUS/363  
 
14 July 2015  
(15-3619)  Page: 1/3  
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION 
1. Notifying Member: AUSTRALIA 
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible: Australian Government Department of Agriculture 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item  number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; IC S numbers should be provided in 
addition, where applicable): General importation of goods into Australia 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected , to the extent relevant or practicable: 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specific regions or countries:   
5. Title of the notified document: Biosecurity Act 2015  and related Acts  Language(s): 
English  Number of pages: 674 
6. Description of content: The Biosecurity Bill 2014 along with supporting legislation 
received Royal Assent from Australia's Governor-General on 16 June 2015 and has now become the Biosecurity Act 2015 . 
The Biosecurity Act 2015  will come into force on 16 June 2016 , 12 months after Royal 
Assent. 
Until the new legislation comes into force, the Quarantine Act 1908  remains the primary 
piece of legislation underpinning Australia's regulations. 
The Biosecurity Act will be co-administered by the Ministers responsible for Agriculture 
and Health. 
The Biosecurity Act includes a chapter on ballast water management providing a 
framework for Australia to work towards ratification of the International Convention for 
the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments. 
Australia's appropriate level of protection (ALOP) and its articulation (as agreed by state, 
territory and Commonwealth governments in 2002) has been included in the Biosecurity 
Act. The legislation consists of the Biosecurity Act 2015  and four related Acts which will 
help to manage the transition between the Quarantine Act 1908  and the Biosecurity 
Act 2015  namely: 
- Biosecurity (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Act 2015 ; 
- Quarantine Charges (Imposition-General) Amendment Act 2014 ; 
- Quarantine Charges (Imposition-Customs) Amendment Act 2014 ; 
- Quarantine Charges (Imposition-Excise) Amendment Act 2014 . 
The Acts and their explanatory memoranda can be viewed on the ComLaw 
(https://www.comlaw.gov.au/ ) and Australian Parliament websites 
(http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/ Bills_LEGislation/B ills_Search_Results/
Result?bId=r5379 ). 
The department will be releasing draft delegated legislation of the Biosecurity Act to 
stakeholders and clients on the department's website for public consideration throughout G/SPS/N/AUS/363 
 
- 2 - 
 
  the rest of 2015. 
More information on the Acts and implementation of the new legislation can be found on 
the Department of Agriculture's website at: 
http://www.agriculture.gov.au/biosecurity/l egislation/new-biosecurity-legislation . 
7. Objective and rationale: [ ] food safety, [X] animal health, [X] plant protection, 
[X] protect humans from animal/plant pe st or disease, [X] protect territory 
from other damage from pests.   
8. Is there a relevant international st andard? If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g. title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text)   
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number)    
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number)    
[X] None 
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?   
[ ] Yes   [ ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:   
9. Other relevant documents and language (s) in which these are available:     
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : 16 June 2016 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : 17 June 2015 
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [ ] Six months from date of publication , 
and/or  (dd/mm/yy) : 16 June 2016 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : Not applicable 
Agency or authority designated to hand le comments: [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: 
Biosecurity Legislation Implementation Program Office 
Service Delivery Division Department of Agriculture 
GPO Box 858 Canberra ACT 2601 
E-mail: newbiosecuritylegislation@agriculture.gov.au Tel: 1800 040 629 G/SPS/N/AUS/363 
 
- 3 - 
 
  13. Text(s) available from: [X] National Notifi cation 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 
Or online at: 
https://www.comlaw.gov.au/ Details/C2015A00061/Download