DAFF - IFN : Implementation update: Cargo Scheduling Policy

Date of publication: 24 July 2026

Attention

Importers, brokers, operators of approved arrangement sites and biosecurity entry points managing goods subject to imported food inspection who requested a recurring appointment under the Cargo Scheduling Policy.

Purpose

This notice is to provide an update on the transition to recurring appointments under the Cargo Scheduling Policy. The department has received a large volume of applications and anticipates the new appointments will be successfully released to Cargo Operations Inspections from September 2026.

Applicants will be privately notified of the assessment outcome. The department will not be publishing a list of current recurring appointments.

Recurring appointments have consolidated and updated the terminology of previous manned depots and permanent arrangements. Applications for recurring appointments remain open, with more information available in the policy and on our webpage Scheduling arrangements for imported cargo inspections.

The department is also working to deliver Group appointments which will enable multiple inspections to be scheduled in a single appointment. Initially group appointments will be available for limited Biosecurity Inspection Types only. Industry Notices will be published when this booking function becomes available and as additional Inspection Types are incorporated.

We thank industry for their ongoing support during the development and implementation of the Cargo Scheduling Policy.

More information

Any enquiries can be addressed by contacting the department's Recurring Appointments Team at recurringappointments@aff.gov.au. 

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