This order revokes (cancels) a previous tariff concession (an exemption from customs import duties) for specific wastewater treatment equipment.
What it means: Importers can no longer bring certain wastewater treatment and odour control plants into Australia without paying import duties. The affected equipment includes complete systems comprising scrubbers, filters, stacks, fans, tanks, pipes, generators, and electrical control modules, classified under customs code 8421.39.00.
Timeline: The duty-free benefit ended on 27 July 2011, and the final date to import goods under the old concession rules was 7 November 2011.
Why it matters: Tariff concessions are typically revoked when an Australian manufacturer begins producing substitutable goods locally. From the effective date, importers must pay standard customs duties on this equipment, making it more expensive to import these wastewater systems.