New Biosecurity and Imported Food Regulatory Fees in Australia for 2024-2025

On June 28, 2024, the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry officially issued Notice No. 139-2024, which aims to publish the fee regulations for biosecurity and imported food regulatory activities for the 2024-2025 fiscal year.

Scope of Impact: This fee regulation will directly affect stakeholders in the import and shipping industry, including but not limited to importers of food products, customs brokers, freight forwarders, ship captains, biosecurity industry participants, and shipping agents.

Background: In 2023, the department had already implemented new fees while committing to an annual review of the regulatory fees and incorporating an indexation mechanism into the legislation. In 2024, the department will continue to execute the annual review and indexation measures to adjust the regulatory fees and charges. The latest Cost Recovery Implementation Statement (CRIS) and Pricing Table for the 2024-2025 biosecurity cost recovery have been detailed, outlining the updated price schedule and the current costs of regulatory activities. Additionally, the public can access the 2023-2024 CRIS and Pricing Table on the department's official website. It is noteworthy that the new charges for biosecurity and imported food regulatory activities will officially take effect from July 1, 2024.

Key Adjustments: Starting from July 1, 2024, all statutory regulatory fee rates subject to indexation will be increased by 4.1%. It is important to note that the indexation adjustment of the statutory fee rates does not require legislative amendment. The new fee rates for 2024-2025 have been determined based on the calculation method described in the 2024-2025 biosecurity CRIS and Pricing Table, which represent the replacement amounts.