Jamie Briggs (Mayo, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development) Share this | Hansard source

In summing up the debate, I thank all the members for participating in this debate. The Customs Amendment (Australian Trusted Trader Programme) Bill 2015 will amend the Customs Act 1901 to establish the Australian Trusted Trader Program. The program will introduce differentiated trust-based regulatory treatment at the border for those entities that meet or exceed international supply chain security and trade compliance standards. The Australian Trusted Trader Program—which has been co-designed with industry stakeholders, partner agencies and international counterparts—is a trade facilitation initiative based on internationally recognised supply chain security and trade compliance principles that contribute to a holistic compliance framework.

The proposed changes to the Customs Act will allow the Comptroller-General of Customs to enter into a trusted trade agreement with an entity that has nominated to participate in the program. A decision of the Comptroller-General of Customs to refuse to enter into a trusted trader agreement is reviewable by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal—the AAT. The bill will allow the Comptroller-General of Customs to vary a trusted trader agreement following validation, including physical inspection and audit, to release an entity from certain statutory obligations or enable the entity to meet certain statutory obligations in an alternative manner. A decision of the Comptroller-General of Customs to refuse to vary a trusted trader agreement is reviewable by the AAT. The bill will allow the Comptroller-General of Customs to vary, suspend or terminate a trusted trader agreement unilaterally. A decision of the Comptroller-General of Customs to vary, suspend or terminate a trusted trader agreement is reviewable by the AAT. The bill will allow the Comptroller-General of Customs to publish and maintain a public register containing information in relation to each trusted trader agreement entered into. The bill will allow the Comptroller-General of Customs to make rules, a legislative instrument, in relation to the operations of the program.

In summary, the reform delivered through this bill will support the government's priority of ensuring Australia's ongoing success as an open economy. This bill will enable the Australian Border Force and the Department of Immigration and Border Protection to create stronger borders by shrinking the haystack. The commencement of this program will enhance Australia's capacity at the border to manage the growth in trade volumes by diverting resources away from highly compliant traders to focus on risk and noncompliance. I commend the bill to the House.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.

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