The redesigned fees and levies program, actioned by Plant Export Operations, Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, is part of the Federal Government’s Cost Recovery program.

Various different models, fees and levies were proposed by the department and put to industry for consultation and feedback. The department received quite a bit of ‘frank and fearless’ advice about the model and subsequently took on board many of the suggested changes put forward by industry.

Details of the charging guidelines can be found on the Department of Agriculture website.

Key changes of interest to growers, pack houses and exporters include the following:

Annual charge for registered establishments

Export registration is initiated by companies or individuals that occupy premises used for the preparation, handling or storage of prescribed plants and plant products for export. Facilities are registered with the department to ensure that the premises construction, equipment and processes are suitable for the preparation of prescribed plants and plant products for export.

Small horticulture growers seeking to register an establishment that will enable them to export their own product can apply for a reduced establishment levy of $600. To be eligible as a grower/exporter, there is a maximum tonnage permitted for the facility across all exported products in a financial year. The grower-exporter is still required to meet all other requirements for registering an export establishment.

Tonnage levies

All plant exporters will pay an export volume (tonnage levy). The rate of the levy is per tonne or part thereof. The levy is applicable to the exporter applying for an export permit and is applied against the quantity recorded on the export permit. For forestry products, the tonnage levy is applied to the green metric tonne (GMT).

The change in levy prices from 2015–16 to 2018–19 reflects the cost modelled predictions.

The other significant part of the program details charges relating to the training and use of Authorised Officers (AO’s). Protocol markets have now accepted the use of AO’s for pre-clearance inspection services.

For further details relating the costs covering AO’s, inspection and audit charges and documentation charges, please consult the charging guidelines document, with details for Plant Export Certification starting on page 44.

Source: APAL