| Earlier this week Freight & Trade Alliance (FTA) met with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) to discuss the finalisation and upcoming publication of the Cargo Scheduling Policy.
Background – Manned Depots and Permanent Arrangements:
Under previous operating models, some Approved Arrangement (AA) sites operated as manned depots or under permanent arrangements, providing regular access to departmental officers for biosecurity and imported food inspections.
The Department has advised that these legacy concepts will be phased out under the new policy, with scheduling moving to a more contemporary and equitable framework. Access will be assessed consistently, based on factors such as volume, throughput, and operational need, rather than historical arrangements.
Key points from the Department: - The policy introduces a single, equitable scheduling framework across industry.
- Existing arrangements will transition to recurring appointment applications.
- Access to the new scheduling arrangements will be assessed against standard criteria, informed by recent throughput and reviewed periodically.
- This includes sites previously requesting officer attendance every day, will also need to meet the threshold criteria.
- Service levels will align to demonstrated volume and need.
- The policy applies to both biosecurity and imported food inspections, with a separate Imported Foods notice to be published.
The Department's objective is to ensure service delivery across industry is equitable and based on throughput and demand.
What this means for Approved Arrangement holders:
Approved Arrangement holders are encouraged to: - Be aware that scheduling arrangements are changing
- Prepare early for upcoming application invitations
- Clearly outline inspection types, volumes and operational requirements in their applications
This is an opportunity for AAs to ensure their operational needs are clearly understood as part of the new framework.
What this means for Industry:
For non-Approved Arrangement holders and the broader industry, this notice is provided as an awareness update, noting that existing operational practices with regular Approved Arrangement sites may evolve as the policy is implemented. Industry participants are encouraged to be mindful of these changes and to plan accordingly.
Next Steps:
The Department has advised it will engage directly with arrangement holders ahead of implementation. FTA will continue to work closely with the department and provide members with practical guidance as further information becomes available.
Members are encouraged to be proactive, not reactive, and to reach out to the Department if assistance is required. This notice is intended as an early awareness update for members. Further detail will be provided as additional departmental notices are released. You can read the Departments notice HERE.
FTA appreciates the Department's engagement in outlining the policy intent and transition approach and looks forward to continuing to work constructively with DAFF to support members as the policy is implemented. |