. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/SPS/N/AUS/298/Add.2 
14 August 2012  
 (12-4445) 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
Addendum 
  
The following communication, received on 13 Augus t 2012, is being circulated at the request 
of the Delegation of Australia. 
 
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Release of additional parts of the draft Biosecur ity and Inspector-General of Biosecurity Bills 
 As outlined in G/SPS/N/AUS/298, the Aust ralian Government is developing a new 
biosecurity legislation to replace the century-old Quarantine Act 1908.  The draft legislation comprises 
the Biosecurity Bill and the Inspecto r-General of Biosecurity Bill (the Bills).  The draft legislation is 
expected to enable the Australian Government to c ontinue to manage the risks that could arise from 
the entry, establishment or spread of pests and diseases into Australia, provide transparency and 
accountability and promote good governance and procedural fairness. 
 The original notification and subsequent a ddendum provided information relating to the 
release of the draft Bills.  The draft Inspector-Gen eral of Biosecurity Bill and the following chapters 
of the draft Biosecurity Bill were previ ously released and are available for comment: 
 - Chapter 1:  Preliminary (Constitutional provisions will not be finalised until the 
remaining chapters are completed) 
 - Chapter 3:  Managing biosecurity risks: goods brought into Australia 
 - Chapter 4:  Managing biosecurity risks: conveyances  - Chapter 5:  Ballast water  - Chapter 7:  Approved arrangements 
 - Chapters 9 & 10:  Enforcement a nd monitoring, investigation and audit 
 - Chapter 11:  Governance and officials   - Chapter 12:  Miscellaneous 
 The following chapters and parts of the draft Biosecurity Bill have now been released for 
comment: 
 - Chapter 2:  Managing biosecurity risks: human health  
 - Chapter 8, Part 2:  Human biosecurity emergencies   - Chapter 11:  Governance and officials (now includes provisions relating to human 
health)  
 - Chapter 4, Part 5: Vessel sanitation  
 The additional chapters are available at http://www.biosecurity.govspace.gov.au . G/SPS/N/AUS/298/Add.2 
Page 2  
 
   The remaining chapters of the draft Biosecu rity Bill are not yet available for comment: 
 - Chapter 6:  Prevention and control measures 
 - Chapter 8:  Emergency provisions 
This addendum concerns a: 
[ ] Modification of final date for comments 
[ ] Notification of adoption, publication or entry into force of regulation 
[X] 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 
[ ] Other:    
Comment period:  (If the addendum extends the scope of th e previously notified measure in terms 
of products and/or potentially affected Members, a new deadline for receipt of comments should be 
provided, normally of at least 60 calendar days.  Under other circumstances, such as extension of 
originally announced final date for comments, th e 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) :   
  The final date for comment will be advised  when the remaining chapters are released.  
This is likely to be approximately 30 days following the release of the remaining 
chapters. 
Agency or authority designated to handle commen ts:  [X] National Notification Authority, [ ] 
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@daff.gov.au  
Text available from:  [X] National Notification Au thority, [ ] 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@daff.gov.au 
The text is available at http://www.biosecurity.govspace.gov.au . 
 
 
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