The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) is proposing to vary the Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals Code (Agricultural Active Constituents) Standards 2022 (the Active Standards) by inserting approved agricultural active constituents.
The APVMA may make standards for chemical products by legislative instrument under section 6E of the Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals Code (Agvet Code) scheduled to the Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals Code Act 1994 (Agvet Code Act).
Under regulation 8AF of the Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals Code Regulations 1995 (the Agvet Code Regulations), the APVMA must publish a notice of its intention to vary a standard under section 6E of the Agvet Code, the reasons why the variation is necessary, and how to obtain more information on the variation in the APVMA Gazette and on the APVMA’s website. The draft variation must also be published on the website, and a period not less than 28 days permitted for comment on the proposed variation.
Regulation 8AF of the Agvet Code Regulations requires the APVMA to consider whether it is necessary to make the variation, having had regard to relevant international standards, and publish this reason in the Gazette.
Statement as to why the APVMA determines that the variation to the Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals Code (Agricultural Active Constituents) Standards 2022 is necessary
The APVMA considers it necessary to vary the standards for currently approved agricultural active constituents to reflect new scientific information and to incorporate new standards for approved active constituents not previously listed. As international standards described in Regulation 8AF(1)(a) are not available for all active constituents proposed in the variation, new and amended standards have been proposed for inclusion in the amending instrument.
The proposed variation includes:
- Making 12 new standards for active constituents used in agricultural chemical products
- Removing 2 existing standards
- Making minor amendments to 38 existing standards
The variation includes standards for malathion and chlorpyrifos to reflect the APVMA’s chemical reconsiderations of these 2 active constituents. The final decision for malathion confirms a minor technical change to the active constituent’s name from ‘maldison’ to ‘malathion’. The final decision for chlorpyrifos confirms the variation of 17 approved active constituents to comply with specific purity requirements. These decisions require amendments to be made to the Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals Code (Agricultural Active Constituents) Standards 2022 for both active constituents.
The final decisions of the APVMA’s reconsiderations of malathion and chlorpyrifos were published in the APVMA Gazette published on 2 May 2024 and 3 October 2024, respectively. Further information on the APVMA’s reconsideration of both active constituents, including their final regulatory decisions, is available on the APVMA’s website.
Invitation to make written submissions
In accordance with regulation 8AF(1)(d)(iii) of the Agvet Code Regulations, the APVMA invites any person to make a written submission on the draft variation.
Submissions must be received by APVMA by 25 August 2026 and be directed to the contact listed below.
Please lodge your submission with a public submission coversheet. The coversheet provides options for how your submission will be published.
Please note that submissions will be published on the APVMA’s website unless you have asked for the submission to remain confidential. Note that all APVMA documents are subject to the access provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 1982 and may be required to be released under that Act should a request for access be made.
Please send your written submission and coversheet by email or by post to:
Email: enquiries@apvma.gov.au
Post:
Director Chemistry and Manufacture
Agricultural Chemicals Branch
Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority
GPO Box 574
Canberra ACT 2601
Privacy
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Gazette notice
A notice about the proposed amending instrument to the Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals Code (Agricultural Active Constituents) Standards 2022 has also been published in the APVMA Gazette No 15, Tuesday 28 July 2026.
Legislative Framework
For a list of legislation administered by the APVMA, and APVMA legislative instruments, please visit ‘Our legislative framework’ on the APVMA website.