Janet Rice (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That—

(a) the Senate notes:

  (i) the grave concerns of the wider agricultural and agribusiness community that the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority's (APVMA) relocation will irreversibly damage the capacity of APVMA to carry out its core responsibilities,

  (ii) the recently released Ernst and Young independent analysis of the APVMA relocation which identified the following key risks:

     (A) the APVMA is unable to effectively relocate or recruit key APVMA executive management and technical assessment staff within the first two years,

     (B) during transition and in the short term, the APVMA is unable to sustain its rate of effort for registration of new agricultural and veterinary chemical products,

     (C) the APVMA is unable to maintain and grow its capability in the medium term, and

     (D) The APVMA has reduced access to stakeholders, and

  (iii) the recommendation in the independent analysis calling for the carrying out of the following critical next tasks for risk mitigation:

     (A) an analysis of supply (and demand) for regulatory scientists,

     (B) an analysis of connectivity between APVMA business groups,

     (C) the development of recruitment, retention and training strategies, and

     (D) the development of a transition plan; and

(b) there be laid on the table, by the Minister representing the Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, by no later than 9.30 am on 1 December 2016, the following documents held or prepared by the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources and/or the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority:

  (i) an analysis of supply (and demand) for regulatory scientists,

  (ii) an analysis of connectivity between APVMA business groups,

  (iii) any APVMA recruitment, retention and training strategies, and

  (iv) any APVMA transition plans.