Skip to main content Skip to main navigation Skip to search

Queensland and NSW floods 2022

Visit recovery.gov.au to see what help is available.

Close
Home

Top navigation main

  • News & media
  • Jobs
  • Ministers
  • Contact us
Main menu

AWE Main

  • Agriculture and land
    Agriculture and land Building stronger and more sustainable agriculture, fisheries, forestry and land care.
    • Animal health
    • Farming, food and drought
    • Fisheries
    • Forestry
    • Land
    • Climate change and agriculture
    • Plant health
    • Drought and rural support
    • Mouse infestation advice
    Xylella

    Protect against unwanted plant pests

    Our biosecurity system helps protects us. Everyone has a role in supporting our biosecurity system.

    Find out more

  • Water
    Water Improving the sustainable management of Australia’s water resources for agriculture, the environment and communities.
    • Coal, Coal seam gas (CSG) and water
    • Commonwealth Environmental Water Office
    • Water policy and resources
    • Wetlands
    Water matters

    Water Matters

    Keep up with the latest news on the department's work in managing Australia's water resources.

    Read the latest edition here

  • Environment
    Environment Improving stewardship and sustainable management of Australia’s environment.
    • Biodiversity
    • Bushfire recovery
    • Climate change and the environment
    • EPBC Act
    • Environmental information and data
    • International activities
    • Marine
    • Partnerships
    • Protection
    • Report a breach of environment law
    • Threatened species & ecological communities
    • Waste and recycling
  • Biosecurity and trade
    Biosecurity and trade Lowering biosecurity risks to Australia, and assisting industry to accelerate growth towards a $100 billion agricultural sector by 2030.
    • Aircraft, vessels and military
    • Biosecurity policy
    • Cats and dogs
    • Exporting
    • Importing
    • Invasive species
    • Pests, diseases and weeds
    • Public awareness and education
    • Trade and market access
    • Travelling or sending goods to Australia
    • Wildlife trade
    Brown marmorated stink bug

    BMSB Seasonal Measures

    Australia has strengthened seasonal measures to manage the risk of BMSB.

    View our seasonal measures

  • Parks and heritage
    Parks and heritage Managing Australia’s iconic national parks, historic places and living landscapes.
    • Australian Marine Parks
    • Australian National Botanic Gardens
    • Booderee National Park
    • Kakadu National Park
    • Christmas Island National Park
    • National parks
    • Norfolk Island National Park
    • Heritage
    • Pulu Keeling National Park
    • The Great Barrier Reef
    • Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park
    The reef

    Great Barrier Reef

    Australia is protecting and conserving this World Heritage Area.

    Find out more

  • Science and research
    Science and research Undertaking research and collecting data to support informed decisions and policies.
    • Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES)
    • Climate change
    • Australia's biological resources
    • National Environmental Science Program (NESP)
    • Our science strategy
    • Australian Biological Resource Study (ABRS)
    • State of the Environment (SoE) reporting
    • Bird and bat banding
    • Supervising Scientist
    Abares

    ABARES Insights

    Get 'snapshots’ of agricultural, forestry and fisheries industries, or analysis of key issues.

    Find out more

  • About us
    About us Enhancing Australia’s agriculture, environment, heritage and water resources through regulation and partnership.
    • Accountability and reporting
    • Assistance, grants and tenders
    • Contact us
    • Fees and charges
    • News and media
    • Our commitment to you
    • Payments
    • People and jobs
    • Publications
    • What we do
    • Who we are
    A day in the life

    A day in the life...

    Our video series showcases the diverse and important work we do.

    Find out more

  • Online services
    Online services We do business with you using online platforms. This makes it easier for you to meet your legal requirements.
Department of Agriculture

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Agriculture and land
  3. Farming, food and drought
  4. Agricultural and veterinary chemicals
  5. Domestic policy
  6. Harmonisation of off-label use in agricultural chemicals

Sidebar first - Farming

  • Domestic policy
    • History of COAG reforms
      • A single national framework for the regulation of agricultural chemicals and veterinary medicines - funding model
      • A single national framework for the regulation of agricultural chemicals and veterinary medicines - regulatory model
      • Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) to COAG
    • The Harmonised Agvet Chemical Control of Use Task group (HACCUT)
    • Harmonisation of off-label use in agricultural chemicals
    • Harmonisation of VPCR treatment of Livestock

Harmonisation of off-label use in agricultural chemicals

In 2017, the Agriculture Ministers’ Forum (AGMIN) tasked HACCUT to develop a proposal for nationally harmonising off-label use of agvet chemicals.

HACCUT undertook two rounds of public consultation in November 2017 and August 2018, which revealed a significant lack of stakeholder consensus on the policy to harmonise off-label use. Based on consultation, HACCUT developed an initial set of national harmonisation reforms to improve the harmonisation of off-label use in agricultural chemicals (listed below) and is considering how wider harmonisation can be achieved. In 2019, AGMIN agreed to a set of initial national harmonisation reforms and implementation of these reforms is underway for completion by 2023.

Table 1 illustrates the implementation status of wider reform measures for the harmonisation of off-label use in agricultural chemicals.

Amending the definition of ‘minor use’

One of the initial reforms agreed to by AGMIN, is to amend the definition of ‘minor use’ (which applies to both agricultural and veterinary chemicals) to allow the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) to address circumstances where ‘a lack of sufficient and suitable chemical product exists’.

Currently, the definition of ‘minor use’ in the Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals Code Regulations 1995 (the Code Regulations) prevents the APVMA from issuing a minor use permit where there is a chemical product registered for that use, regardless of whether or not the chemical product is actually available to agvet chemical users. The proposed amendment to the Code Regulations will enable the APVMA to issue minor use permits for a given use in situations where one or more products are registered for that use but none of these are available anywhere in Australia. The standard fee and timeframes for minor use permits would apply.

Given the potential benefits of this measure to users, the department has proposed that this measure be applied to both agricultural and veterinary chemicals.

The department will provide more information on how this reform will be represented in the Code Regulations when it consults on other proposed amendments to agvet chemical regulations. Those amendments are primarily intended to support the Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals Legislation Amendment (Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority Board and Other Improvements) Bill 2019. Consultation on the proposals is expected in 2021.

Initial national harmonisation reforms, agreed to by AGMIN in 2019, to improve the national harmonisation of off-label use in agricultural chemicals

  1. To extend the existing off-label provisions (for using an agricultural chemical at a lower rate, frequency, concentration or to treat a different pest than listed on the product label) to permits issued to ‘persons generally,’ excluding vertebrae poisons.
  2. To apply APVMA registered products and minor use permits nationally, where they have been approved for use in two or more jurisdictions. A use will not be allowed:
    1. where the approved label instructions include critical comments or restraints specifying a calendar timing or geographical region for application or non‑application
    2. for pests or uses specified by legislative instrument.
  3. To allow the APVMA to issue minor use permits in situations where ‘a lack of sufficient and suitable chemical products’ exists. The APVMA will still be required to:
    1. consult with state coordinators consistent with current practices
    2. be satisfied that the use of products under permit meet the safety, efficacy and trade criteria
    3. be satisfied the holder of the permit is a ‘fit and proper person’.

Table 1: Implementation status of reform measure for the harmonisation of off-label use in agricultural chemicals (as of October 2020)
Harmonisation measure Implemented (Yes(Y)/ Underway(U)/ No(N))
  ACT NSW QLD WA SA NT TAS VIC
Rates of application Lower rate than on label U Y Y Y Y Y Y U
Higher rate than on label N N N N N N N N
Lower frequency than on label U Y Y Y Y Y Y U
Higher frequency or rate than on label N N N N N N N N
Pests Different pest than on label U U Y Y Y Y Y U
Crops and situations Different crop or situation than on label N N N N N N N Y
Application equipment (n/a) Different application equipment than on label N N Y Y Y Y N Y
Preparation Tank mixes Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
AGMIN-agreed off-label measures (2019) Allow products registered for use in two or more jurisdictions to be used in all jurisdictions for uses included in APVMA approved label* U U U U U U U U
Allow permits issued to “persons generally”, other than emergency use permits, for two or more jurisdictions to apply in all jurisdictions* U U U U U U U U
Allow holders of approval and registration to also be holders of permits where ‘a lack of sufficient and suitable chemical options exists’* U U U U U U U U
Extend the existing AGMIN endorsed label arrangements for rates of application (above) to permits issued to “persons generally”* U U U U U U U U

*subject to the conditions described above.

Contacts

Call 1800 900 090

Contact us online

Report a biosecurity concern

Thanks for your feedback.
Thanks! Your feedback has been submitted.

We aren't able to respond to your individual comments or questions.
To contact us directly phone us or submit an online inquiry

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Please verify that you are not a robot.

Skip

Footer

  • Contact us
  • Accessibility
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy
  • FOI
Last updated: 27 November 2020

© Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.