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CUSTOMS & TRADE ALERT >>
Customs & Trade alert: The case for a new Australian Customs Act plus comments about what we have now
One of the essential elements of good regulation is the need for clear contemporary supporting legislation and associated regulation.
That need has underscored new legislation in Australia (the Biosecurity Act 2015) and in New Zealand (the Customs and Excise Act 2018).
In the former case, the Biosecurity legislation succeeded the Quarantine Act 1908 and in the latter case, it was the third iteration of the original New Zealand legislation.
In both cases, the new legislation also included changes to practice and were the subject of a process involving the affected industry ‘co-developing’ the concepts behind the legislation. I was fortunate enough to assist the Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of New Zealand (CBAFF) which was part of the Stakeholder Reference Group for the New Zealand Act. The concept of co-development is also alive and well in Australia, evidenced by the creation of the Australian Trusted Trader Programme (ATTP) where the aims of the ATTP, its legislation and governing Rule were all the product of extensive work between government and industry.
This article was first published by Air Cargo News, December 2018.
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