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Commonwealth act
This Act creates and governs the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) — the national body responsible for regulating agricultural and veterinary chemical products (think pesticides, herbicides, animal medicines, and similar chemicals) in Australia.
1. Establishes the APVMA as a government body (a 'body corporate' — meaning it can own property, make contracts, and be sued like a company) with a Board of Directors and a Chief Executive Officer.
2. Sets out what APVMA does, including:
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Direct links to the current provisions in Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (Administration) Act 1992.
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View on official registerSourced from the Federal Register of Legislation (legislation.gov.au), CC BY 4.0.
3. Controls imports and exports — it is illegal to import unregistered agricultural or veterinary chemicals without APVMA approval. Penalties can reach 300 penalty units (currently about $94,500 for individuals).
4. Implements international treaty obligations — regulations can ban or restrict certain chemicals to comply with international agreements (like those covering ozone-depleting chemicals).
5. Gives inspectors investigative powers, including:
6. Governance structures — the Board sets strategy, the CEO runs day-to-day operations, and the Minister can issue directions in limited circumstances (mainly to ensure compliance with agreed national policies).
If you buy, sell, use, make, or import any pesticide, herbicide, fungicide, veterinary medicine, or similar product in Australia — this law governs whether that product is legal. Using or importing an unregistered product can result in significant criminal penalties or civil fines.