Legislation
The application of the fees and charges outlined in this document are enforceable under the Quarantine Service Fees Determination 2005 (the Determination), and the Imported Food Control Regulations 1993.
The Determination states the following about when fees are payable:
Due date for payment
A fee imposed by section 6 of the Determination must be paid:
a) on demand for payment, if the fees can be worked out before the service is provided and the amount of the fee is worked out before the service is provided; or
b) in any other case — by the close of business on the last day for payment of the fee shown on an invoice issued by AQIS.
Any entity dealing with AQIS may become an account client subject to meeting certain eligibility criteria. Account clients are not required to make up front payments as all fees are billed to their account which has separate settlement arrangements. For more information on this and the payment of invoices please contact Accounts Receivable on 1800 647 531.
The Quarantine Service Fees Determination 2005 states the following about exceptions to charges:
Determinations do not apply to certain services
These Determinations do not apply in relation to services provided, or to applications or entries lodged or assessed, in relation to:
(1)
(a) the importation of goods:
(i) for the official use of a diplomatic mission in Australia; or
(ii) for the personal use of a diplomatic agent of the mission; or
(iii) for the personal use of a member of the diplomatic agent’s family, if the person forms part of the diplomatic agent’s household and is not an Australian citizen; or
(b) the importation of goods for the personal use of a member of the administrative or technical staff (the staff member) of a diplomatic mission at the time the mission at the time of the first installation, if the staff member is neither an Australian citizen nor permanently resident in Australia; or
(c) the importation of goods for the personal use of a member of the staff member’s family at the time of first installation, if the person forms part of the staff member’s household and is neither an Australian citizen nor permanently resident in Australia;
or
(d) vessels or equipment used by the defence force of a foreign country that is engaged in a combined military activity if the Australian Defence Force has informed AQIS of the operation;
or
(e) the importation into Australia of disability assistance dogs.
(2) In addition, this Determination does not apply in relation to the following services provided by AQIS under the Act:
(a) the examination of personal luggage that arrives in Australia aboard the same vessel as the owner or importer of the goods; or
(b) the screening or inspection of international postal items that arrive in Australia.
(3) In paragraph 1 (e):
a disability assistance dog, for a dog that is imported, means a dog:
(a) that has been professionally trained to assist a person with a disability; and
(b) that, at the time of importation, is accompanying a person with such a disability who has a certificate from an appropriate medical specialist practitioner in a specialty relevant to the disability, stating that the person requires the assistance of such a dog.
NOTE: Charges only apply for services that are defined in the Quarantine Service Fees Determination 2005 and the Imported Food Control Regulations 1993.