The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) consider the priority of chemicals nominated for reconsideration on a regular basis and prior to commencing a new reconsideration. In determining the chemicals to be prioritised for reconsideration, we assess the available information for chemicals previously nominated for reconsideration, chemicals that were nominated for spray drift reviews in 2010, public domain information including overseas regulatory decisions and information received from holders and the public raising concerns around specific chemicals.
The chemicals prioritised for commencing reconsideration from 2026 to 2030 are listed in Table 1 and the reasons for prioritisation are identified. This list was updated in 2026 following an APVMA prioritisation screening assessment of information which was available at the time. A detailed assessment of relevant information will be required as part of the reconsideration process for the APVMA to complete contemporary risk assessments of registered products.
The APVMA will commence scoping the full extent of the reconsideration of these chemicals as soon as possible, balancing risk, regulatory impact and workforce capacity. Where risks of these or other chemicals on the nomination list can be minimised through minor changes to instructions for use or through other regulatory mechanisms, action may be taken prior to commencing a full reconsideration.
Commencement of reconsiderations are announced in the APVMA Gazette.
Chemicals prioritised for reconsideration from 2026 to 2030 are presented in Table 1 and chemicals which have been nominated and accepted for future reconsideration are included on the nomination list (Table 2). This list may be added to as new information is received or identified and will be revisited regularly to confirm priority for reconsideration. Chemicals nominated for spray drift specific reconsiderations are listed in Table 3.
Table 1: Prioritised chemical reconsiderations
| Chemical | Reasons for prioritisation | Commencement forecast# |
|---|---|---|
| Chlorpyrifos-methyl | Assessments completed during the APVMA reconsideration of chlorpyrifos (December 2023) indicate that chlorpyrifos-methyl requires reassessment regarding risks to the environment, health, residues and trade. Due to chemical similarity, some of the assessments completed for chlorpyrifos may be suitable to read-across to chlorpyrifos-methyl. | 2026
|
| Group 4 – Phenoxy – carboxylate herbicides: 2,4-DB Dichlorprop MCPA MCPB Mecoprop | The chemicals in this mode of action group are prioritised specifically for spray drift reconsideration. The APVMA has previously completed spray drift assessments for 2,4-D as part of the reconsideration finalised in 2020 and 2,4-D will not be reassessed. Spray-drift incidents involving chemicals in this mode of action group have been reported to the APVMA and highlight the risks to vegetation areas and natural aquatic areas through off target damage due to spray drift. | |
| Dimethoate | Dimethoate and omethoate will be reconsidered in parallel because omethoate is a more toxic breakdown product of dimethoate. The APVMA previously reconsidered both chemicals (2016 and 2017), focusing on human health, residues and trade. New information shows the need to reassess risks to the environment, particularly animals and insects, including bees and other pollinators. New data also indicates a need to update human health, and residues and trade risk assessments to ensure appropriate margins of safety are maintained and that the risk to trade is appropriately managed. | 2027 |
| Omethoate | ||
| Flupropanate | Prioritisation screening assessments indicate the need to assess contemporary data relating to the persistence of flupropanate in soil, and risks the environment. There is also a need for contemporary human health, and residues and trade risk assessments to ensure appropriate margins of safety are maintained and that the risk to trade is appropriately managed. | |
| Methomyl | Prioritisation screening assessments indicate the need for contemporary risk assessments relating to risks to the environment, particularly birds, bees and aquatic species. Differences between Australian and international health-based guidance values indicate the need for reassessment of risks related residues in food to ensure appropriate margins of safety are maintained. Differences between Australian and international MRLs require assessment to ensure that that the risk to trade is appropriately managed. | 2028 |
| Phorate | Differences between Australian and international health-based guidance values indicate the need for reassessment of risks related to human health, and residues in food to ensure appropriate margins of safety are maintained. Prioritisation screening assessments also indicate the need for contemporary risk assessments relating to risks to the environment, particularly invertebrates including bees, and aquatic species. | |
| Chlorothalonil | International regulators have published proposed (Canada; 2022) or interim (USA; 2024) decisions highlighting concerns relating to human health and the environment. Prioritisation screening assessments indicate the need for contemporary residues and trade risk assessments to ensure appropriate margins of safety are maintained and that the risk to trade is appropriately managed. | 2029 |
| Propargite | Differences between health-based guidance values set in Australia and by international regulators indicate the need for reassessment of these values. Prioritisation screening assessments also indicate that updated human health, and residues and trade risk assessments are required to ensure appropriate margins of safety are maintained and that the risk to trade is appropriately managed. Contemporary assessment of the risks to the environment, including birds and mammals, aquatic species, insects and plants, is also required. | |
| Dithiocarbamates: Mancozeb Metiram Propineb Thiram Zineb Ziram | Prioritisation screening assessments indicate the need for contemporary risk assessments relating to risks to the environment, particularly birds, mammals, insects and other arthropods, and aquatic species, and to residues and trade. This group of chemicals shares a common break down product and is expected to be reviewed by the Joint Meeting of Pesticide Residues (JMPR). The timing proposed in this listing is to allow utilisation of the findings of the toxicology and residue assessments undertaken by JMPR. | 2030 |
# This information may be subject to change if new chemical-relevant risk information emerges.
Other chemicals where a nomination has been accepted are identified in Table 2. This list may be added to as new information is received or identified and will be revisited regularly to ensure that the prioritised chemicals are the most relevant.
Table 2: Other chemicals nominated for reconsideration
| Chemical | Risk areas identified for reassessment |
|---|---|
| Abamectin (agricultural)* | Environment, residues |
| Acephate | Environment, health, residues |
| Alpha-cypermethrin | Human health, environment, chemistry |
| Aluminium phosphide | Health |
| Amitrole | Environment, health, residues |
| Bifenthrin | Environment, health, residues |
| Bromoxynil* | Residues, trade |
| Cyanazine | Environment, health |
| Cyproconazole | Environment, residues |
| Dicamba* | Environment |
| Difenoconazole | Environment, residues |
| Fenbutatin oxide | Environment, residues, trade |
| Flutriafol | Environment, residues |
| Fumigants (includes previous methyl bromide entry) | Human health |
| Hexazinone* | Environment |
| Levamisole | Efficacy, health, trade |
| Myclobutanil | Environment, residues |
| Permethrin | Environment, residues |
| Picloram* | Environment, residues |
| Propiconazole* | Environment, residues, trade |
| Pymetrozine* | Residues |
| Simazine | Environment, health |
| Spray drift (multiple chemicals) | See Table 3 for full list of chemicals nominated for targeted spray drift review. |
| Tetraconazole | Environment, residues |
| Triadimefon | Environment, residues |
| Triadimenol | Environment, residues |
| Trichlorfon | Environment |
*These chemicals were also nominated for spray drift assessment and may be considered for spray drift review prior to further reconsideration.
Table 3: Chemicals nominated for targeted spray drift reconsideration
| Chemical | Mode of action^ | Reason for nomination | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herbicides | Aminopyralid | Group 4 – pyridine – carboxylate | Potential risk to vegetation areas, natural aquatic areas note: picloram also bystander areas |
| Clopyralid | |||
| Fluroxypyr | Group 4 – pyridyloxy – carboxylate | Potential risk to vegetation areas, natural aquatic areas | |
| Triclopyr | |||
| Quinclorac | Group 4 – quinoline | ||
| Diclofop – methyl | Group 1 | Potential risk to vegetation areas, natural aquatic areas | |
| Fenoxaprop | |||
| Fluazifop | |||
| Chlorsulfuron | Group 2 | Potential risk to vegetation areas, natural aquatic areas | |
| Iodosulfuron | |||
| Metsulfuron | |||
| Triasulfuron | |||
| Tribenuron | |||
| Atrazine | Group 5 – triazines | Potential risk to vegetation areas, natural aquatic areas, bystander areas | |
| Diuron | Group 5 – ureas | Potential risk to vegetation areas, natural aquatic areas | |
| Glyphosate | Group 9 | Potential risk to vegetation areas, natural aquatic areas | |
| Glufosinate – ammonium | Group 10 | Potential risk to vegetation areas, natural aquatic areas, bystander areas | |
| Insecticides | Thiodicarb | Group 1 | Potential risk to pollinator areas, natural aquatic areas, bystander areas |
| Emamectin | Group 6 | Potential risk to pollinator areas, natural aquatic areas | |
| Chlorfenapyr | Group 13 | ||
| Fungicides | Carbendazim | Group 1 | Potential risk to bystander areas, natural aquatic areas |