Scott Ryan (Victoria, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Hansard source

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 proposed changes to the Customs Act will allow the Comptroller-General of Customs to enter into a trusted trader 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 program is reviewable by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. The bill will allow the Comptroller-General of Customs to vary a trusted trader agreement following a 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 also 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 also 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. It will allow the Comptroller-General of Customs to make rules, through a legislative instrument, in relation to the operation 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. The 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 the program will enhance Australia's capacity at the border to maintain the exponential growth in trade volume by diverting resources away from highly compliant traders to focus on risk and noncompliance. I thank senators for their contribution and commend the bill to the chamber.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.