21 July 2021
Who does this notice affect?
All Biosecurity Industry Participants and food importers who have premises that
departmental officers may attend (for inspections, audits, surveillance or other
purposes) as well as clients, couriers and other third party agents that may attend
departmental offices.
What has changed?
With multiple states now experiencing continuing community transmissions of
COVID-19, this Import Industry Advice Notice seeks to combine information on the
impact on the department's activity to help operators who work across jurisdictions
keep up with changing requirements.
The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE) works in a range
of environments, including those managed and owned by our clients and business
partners.
We remain committed to delivering our core business and continuing to safeguard
Australian agriculture and our environment from the threat of pests and diseases as
well as continuing to verify the safety and compliance of imported food during this
pandemic.
Where there are shared duties under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, we are
required to work together to take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure the
health and safety of all our workers.
Requirement to notify the department of COVID-19 cases
Biosecurity Industry Participants have an obligation to notify the department if any
of their staff (or visitors to their premises) test positive for COVID-19.
We are taking action across all states and requesting your assistance to help protect
both our people and yours, especially where there is a risk that one or more
employees have been confirmed or is potentially infected with COVID-19.
In particular: … READ MORE