DAFF Class19 Accreditation Email - FTA follow up

Further to yesterday's notice concerning the recent Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) communication to Approved Arrangement (AA) Class 19 accredited persons, Freight & Trade Alliance (FTA) welcomes the department's prompt issue of a clarification email following widespread member concern and confusion.

As previously advised, DAFF has confirmed that the original communication was intended as a general reminder of the responsibilities and obligations associated with AA Class 19 accreditation and was not directed at individual recipients.

Following the clarification, FTA has written to DAFF acknowledging the importance of maintaining the integrity of the AA Class 19 accreditation framework and reinforcing the responsibilities that accompany accreditation.

FTA also noted the significant concern generated by the original communication, with many customs brokers and accredited persons initially interpreting the email as being directed at them personally.

In correspondence to DAFF, FTA suggested that future compliance messaging may benefit from a more structured and informative approach that shares compliance learnings and reinforces obligations while providing sufficient context to avoid unnecessary concern across the broader accredited community.

As part of this feedback, FTA highlighted the Australian Border Force's Goods Compliance Update as an example of a regular industry communication mechanism that effectively shares compliance insights and lessons learned while supporting broader industry understanding and engagement.

FTA appreciates DAFF's responsiveness in addressing industry concerns and looks forward to continuing constructive engagement on matters impacting accredited persons and the broader biosecurity community.