• Meet Agriculture Victoria's newest Chemical Officer
• New AgVet chemical regulations to improve compliance
• Cannabidiol (CBD) products sold as veterinary chemicals
• Don’t be kept in the dark about chemical use in the mushroom industry
• Continous 1080 and PAPP programs
• Shallots vs onions: Understanding the difference when using malei hydrazide on shallots
• Victorian fertiliser company receives warning about heavy metal levels

On 5 December 2023, the Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (Control of Use) (Infringement Notices) Regulations 2023 (the regulations) were made. Agriculture Victoria administers legislation regulating the use of agricultural and veterinary (AgVet) chemicals in Victoria, which includes the new regulations.

These new regulations don't introduce or alter any current offences or policies applicable to legislation that Agriculture Victoria administers.

There is no impact for industry stakeholders regarding the regulation, use, supply and manufacture of agricultural and veterinary chemicals, stockfeed and fertilisers in Victoria, or nationally.

The new regulations provide Authorised Officers in Agriculture Victoria with additional enforcement options and resolving non-compliance more efficiently. For example, issuing an infringement  notice rather than pursuing a case to prosecution.

This will allow greater ability for a proportionate response to enforce non-compliance with existing offences. An example is the failure to produce chemical use records requested by an Authorised Officer.

The regulations can be found at the Victorian Legislation website. Information on AgVet chemical use and legislation in Victoria can be found at the Agriculture Victoria website.

The Australian Pesticides and Medicines Authority (APVMA) are responsible for the assessment and registration of products intended to be used for agriculture or veterinary use.

As of 4 August 2023, the APVMA hasn’t registered any veterinary chemical products containing cannabis. Currently veterinarians can import cannabis products by applying for a consent to import from the APVMA.

The APVMA are aware of some cannabis products that are marketed in Australia as animal health products, feed additives or pet food; however, these products have not been registered by the APVMA and safe levels/concentration limits for cannabis have not been determined for animals.

Only veterinarians are allowed to prescribe unregistered cannabis products for therapeutic animal use. The product must comply with the entry for ‘cannabidiol’ (CBD) in Schedule 4 of the Poisons Standard. The product must be manufactured outside of Australia as the law dictates that cannabis derived products that are manufactured in Australia are only approved for human use and not for animals.

For more details, visit cannabis in veterinary chemical products.

Agriculture Victoria recently investigated a residue of the chemical carbendazim, found in Victorian grown mushrooms. The grower was trying to control dry bubble and had been advised to use an agricultural chemical containing carbendazim.

Carbendazim is a schedule 7 Dangerous Poison and a restricted use chemical, which means all users must possess a current Agricultural Chemical User Permit (ACUP) to use this chemical in Victoria. The use of carbendazim on mushrooms is not listed on the product label. As this is a restricted use chemical product in Victoria and this use pattern doesn’t apply to the Agriculture Victoria low-risk off-label use, carbendazim would require a permit from the Australian Pesticide and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) for use on mushrooms.

The APVMA are responsible for issuing permits for the off-label use of certain chemicals. Growers may be aware of existing permits for the control of dry bubble. However, the current permit (APVMA PER14949) for the use of carbendazim does not apply to chemical users in Victoria. If Victorian mushroom growers would like to use carbendazim, they must apply for a permit through the APVMA website or they may be able to request the holder of PER14949 for Victoria to be added to the permit.

Currently, there is another permit for the control of dry bubble (APVMA PER90382) for a product containing metrafenone. This permit is a great resource on using the chemical in Victoria if choosing to use the chemical off-label according to Victorian legislation. Users should regularly check for any changes to the status of this permit before following it, as it may be revoked by the APVMA at any time.

It’s important when selecting any chemical, to thoroughly read the label and/or the permit for the rate of application, and any additional information such as withholding periods, or re-entry instructions. The label and permit also contain important information about the type of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that should be worn when mixing and applying chemicals.

Chemical users are reminded that keeping agricultural chemical use records is a legal requirement in Victoria. Good record keeping provides useful information that can assist users with their business, allows users to keep track of chemical use and can demonstrate that a duty of care was taken when applying chemicals.

For more information on licencing, restricted use chemicals and record keeping, please visit the Agriculture Victoria chemicals website.

All Victorian pest animal baiting programs using either 1080 or PAPP baits must follow the ‘Directions for the use of 1080 and PAPP Pest Animal Bait Products in Victoria’ (DfU). When it comes to the use of pest animal baits, some users adopt a continuous control program involving pulse baiting, rather than a permanent single baiting period.

Points of difference when managing a continuous or permanent pest animal baiting program:

1. All neighbour notification must be conducted in accordance with the DfU. Written notification must be provided at least 72 hours in advance of using 1080 or PAPP baits. For baiting programs that are continuous or run for extended periods of time, written notification must be provided every 6 months
2. In relation to the use of mandatory signage, for programs with a duration of longer than 4 weeks, the signs need to be checked and maintained regularly to ensure they remain legible. Additional wording may be used for signs displayed during continuous 1080 or PAPP baiting programs but it is not a requirement of the DfU.

These programs may display permanent warning signs which also:

                a.  state the date that the baiting commenced and

                b. state that it is a site using continuous baiting.

It’s important to remember in order to use 1080 or PAPP baits you must be trained and hold the relevant chemical users licence or permit depending on your situation. Individuals must hold either a 1080 and PAPP endorsed Agricultural Chemical Users Permit (ACUP) or a valid Pilot (Chemical Rating) Licence with 1080 and PAPP training. Businesses must hold either a vermin destroyer endorsed Commercial Operators Licence (COL) or a valid Pest Control Licence (PCL) issued by the Department of Health and have completed the 1080 and PAPP training.

Chemical users are reminded that records must be made and kept for the use of baits as well as neighbour notifications. These are legal requirements in Victoria and are included in the DfU. Users are encouraged to use a map marking locations where 1080 or PAPP baits were laid as the method to comply with specific location record requirement.

For more information about 1080 and PAPP baiting, visit the Agriculture Victoria chemicals website.

Maleic hydrazide is a plant growth regulator registered for use to inhibit sprouting of potatoes, onions and garlic. The registration for use on onions applies to the ‘Onion, bulb’ only and not all onion varieties. Shallots are not classified as ‘Onion, bulb’ and therefore the registration doesn't include the use on shallots.

There is currently no maximum residue limit (MRL) established for maleic hydrazide on shallots. Any detectable residues of maleic hydrazide on shallots are unacceptable as the registration of maleic hydrazide products doesn’t include shallots as a commodity. To enable the use of maleic hydrazide on shallots either:

• an application for permit requesting the approval of a proposed use on shallots must be submitted to the Australian Pesticides and Medicines Authority (APVMA)
• a request for variation to an existing registered product would need to be received by the APVMA to consider the establishment of an appropriate MRL for shallots.

In Victoria, maleic hydrazide can be used on shallots when following our off-label use legislation, however, the use must not result in detectable residues of this chemical. For more information on off-label chemical use in Victoria, please visit the Agriculture Victoria chemicals website.

A Victorian fertiliser company has been issued a Letter of Warning relating to non-compliance with Victorian fertiliser regulations.

A recent investigation into fertiliser sold in Victoria, found the company failed to ensure the fertiliser met heavy metal requirements.

Agriculture Victoria manages the risks associated with the use of fertilisers by requiring manufacturers to provide labelling or advice notes that comply with the Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (Control of Use) (Fertilisers) Regulations 2015.

Heavy metal contaminants in fertilisers have the potential to lead to levels in plant and animal products that are above Australian and/or International standards. For this reason, all fertilisers containing heavy metals must contain warning statements in accordance with the Regulations on the labels or advice notes accompanying them.

Testing of the fertilisers showed non-compliant levels of cadmium in one.

The fertiliser company was cooperative and has since improved their testing regime to ensure future compliance with all Victorian regulated standards.

The Regulations also provide details on fertiliser product descriptions to be provided to purchasers as attached labels or advice notes.

For more information on fertiliser regulations go to the Agriculture Victoria chemicals website.

Visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/chemicals for information about:

• rules and regulations on the use of agricultural and veterinary chemicals in Victoria
• licence and permit application forms
• agricultural chemical control areas.

For enquiries 136 186 or email chemical.standards@agriculture.vic.gov.au

You are receiving this email as someone who may have an interest in the Victorian Government’s Chemical Industry News, which will be distributed quarterly. 

Your email address may have been collected for purposes other than receiving information of this type from the Victorian Government. If you do not wish to receive the Chemical Industry News e-newsletter, please click on unsubscribe link in the footer of this email.