Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (Control of Use) Regulations 2022.

The Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (Control of Use) Regulations 2022 were established under the Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (Control of Use) Act 1995, with an effective commencement date following its notification in the Gazette. They outline rules for storage, handling, usage, licensing, and certification regarding agricultural and veterinary chemicals, emphasizing safety precautions and environmental protection. The legislation mandates protective clothing, medical examination requirements, and record-keeping for handling specific chemical products, including those classified under Schedule 6 or 7 poisons and hormonal growth promotants (HGPs). It further addresses the issuance and cancellation of certificates of competency, annual fees, duties of employers, and specific conditions under which individuals may use or possess certain chemicals. Comprehensive measures are specified for notification of neighbors, possession, treatment, and disposal of hormonal growth promotant-treated animals, focusing on public safety and proper tagging to ensure traceability.
Under the Regulations individuals handling HGPs must adhere to specific protocols. These include obtaining a purchaser declaration, maintaining possession records, and ensuring proper tagging of treated animals. For instance, animals treated with HGPs must be earmarked with a registered identifier at the time of implantation. Additionally, records of HGP use must be kept for at least two years. The regulations also address the use of HGP-Free tags, which are employed to identify animals that have not been treated with hormonal growth promotants. To obtain these tags, individuals must complete an HGP-Free Declaration and provide it to the Registrar of Animal Brands.