Our charter sets out the standard of service you can expect from the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) and what we expect from people engaging and transacting with us.

Our relationships are based on trust, transparency and respect in the way we work together.

What you can expect from us

In all our interactions with you, we will:

  • process applications within legislative timeframes
  • be courteous, considerate, impartial, consistent, honest, ethical and professional
  • make our processes and requirements accessible, transparent and in plain English
  • listen to you and confirm that we have understood your views or query
  • comply with all aspects of the agricultural and veterinary chemicals code
  • maintain high standards of quality
  • make it as easy as possible for you to engage with us
  • at all times adhere to the Australian Public Service (APS) Code of Conduct.

We will provide you with the information you need to do business by:

  • providing relevant and easy-to-understand responses to all enquiries
  • publishing email notifications including the APVMA Gazette
  • providing up-to-date and accurate content on our website
  • providing up-to-date online services that meet the needs of businesses and are legislatively correct
  • continuously improving our systems
  • continuous improvement of our website to meet government accessibility standards
  • providing contact names, email addresses and phone numbers on all written correspondence.

We will provide regular reports against these standards.

What we expect from you

In return, we ask you to:

  • inform yourself about how to comply with the relevant legislation
  • be open, honest and transparent in your interactions with us
  • provide complete, accurate and timely information
  • advise us promptly when your details change
  • let us know if our products or services are not meeting your expectations
  • treat our staff with respect and courtesy.

Our partners and stakeholders

  • Chemical industry
  • Australian, state and territory governments
  • General community
  • Farmers and farm workers
  • Manufacturers and resellers
  • Users of agricultural and veterinary chemicals
  • National and international regulators

Our service standards

When we serve you, we will:

  • identify ourselves
  • treat you with respect and courtesy
  • be fair, open and reasonable
  • give you clear, accurate and timely information or help you to find it
  • collect, store and use your commercial and personal information in accordance with relevant Australian law.

We comply with the APS values and extend these values to all contact with stakeholders in our regulatory activities. We will:

  • be impartial, open and accountable
  • use the best available science and evidence to guide our decision making
  • adhere to governing legislation when making decisions
  • regard all individuals and organisations as valued stakeholders
  • respect and be responsive to the issues raised by others
  • act with integrity, empathy, professionalism and mutual respect.

We will continually look for better ways to deliver our service to you and continually review and improve procedures to simplify administration and reduce red tape and regulatory burden.

Response times

We take our commitment to delivering quality service seriously.

Telephone: phone calls will be answered or returned within one working day. If we are unable to answer your query directly due to its technical nature we will arrange for the appropriate person to assist you as soon as possible. We will advise you of when a complete response can be expected.

Written correspondence: all forms of written correspondence, including email, will be acknowledged within 5 working days of receipt. If we cannot fully answer your query in that time we will advise you of when a complete response can be expected.

What we cannot do

We cannot:

  • provide advice on product use
  • advise you on the likely outcome of your application prior to it being assessed
  • provide confidential commercial information without consent
  • provide legal advice
  • assess the commercial potential or likely benefits of a product.

How you can contact us

General enquiries

Email: enquiries@apvma.gov.au

Phone: +61 2 6770 2300

Telephone hours: 9.30 am to 4 pm AEST, Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays.

Compliments, complaints, feedback or suggestions

You can provide feedback to the APVMA via enquiries@apvma.gov.au.

Alternatively, to make a complaint, you can send us an email via complaints@apvma.gov.au.

More information about APVMA complaints handling is available on our website

Online services

We provide our customers with secure, online transaction services to make it easier to find and report information, make payments and register or vary a product or label.

Online Services Portal: portal.apvma.gov.au

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