Minor update to the performance management and compliance guidelines for approved arrangements.

Attention

• Australian Livestock Exporters' Council
• Departmental officers
• LiveCorp
• Livestock exporters

Purpose

To inform stakeholders that the Performance management and compliance guidelines for approved arrangements has been updated to amend the impact level rating review process.

Key points

• Section 9 of the Performance management and compliance guidelines has been updated to provide more information on the impact level rating review process, including
  • clarification that the review will be conducted by a departmental officer who is independent of the original impact level rating
  • advice that one internal review only will be permitted for each consignment
  • advice that the next avenue available is through the Commonwealth Ombudsman if the exporter is not satisfied with the outcome of the internal review.
• Our review of the livestock export performance management and compliance framework is continuing. This current update is an interim measure to clarify the review process and reduce administrative activities until performance levels and impact ratings are removed as part of our larger reform activities.

Background

• Exporters are advised of an impact level rating by a department veterinary officer as part of each consignment's livestock export consignment report (LECR).
• The original intent of the LECR review process was that only one review would be permitted per impact rating. In recent times, a cycle of multiple reviews has become more common and this update is to bring this back in line with the original intent of the process.
• The update also clarifies the process for ensuring the internal review is as independent as possible, and the avenue available to exporters if they remain unsatisfied with the process.
• See Approved arrangements for more information on how we manage performance.