139Accreditation authority

139 Accreditation authority

(1)  For the purposes of this Act, an accreditation authority includes –

(a) the Secretary; and

(b) a person approved by the Secretary to be an accreditation authority.

(2)  An accreditation authority is authorised under this Act –

(a) to appoint persons as biosecurity auditors or biosecurity certifiers; and

(b) to require biosecurity audits to be performed in certain circumstances.

(3)  An approval by the Secretary under subsection (1)(b) may only authorise the accreditation authority to act as an accreditation authority in respect of –

(a) a specified class of biosecurity certificates or biosecurity certifiers; or

(b) a specified class of biosecurity audits or biosecurity auditors.

(4)  An approval by the Secretary under subsection (1)(b) may be subject to such conditions, and limitations, as the Secretary thinks fit.

(5)  For the purposes of this Act, a reference to an accreditation authority in respect of a function of an accreditation authority only includes a reference to a person approved by the Secretary under subsection (1)(b) if the person has been approved to perform the function.

(6)  Schedule 1 applies in respect of –

(a) an application for approval as an accreditation authority; and

(b) an application for renewal of approval as an accreditation authority; and

(c) the suspension or cancellation of approval as an accreditation authority.

(7)  Nothing in this Act authorises or requires an accreditation authority to act in contravention of the conditions or limitations of the accreditation authority's approval as an accreditation authority.