Four national regulators oversee assessment and registration schemes for specific types of chemicals.
National chemical management schemes and regulators
- The National Registration Scheme for Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (NRS) is administered by a partnership of Commonwealth, state and territory government agencies and the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA). The APVMA regulates agricultural and veterinary chemicals (pesticides and veterinary medicines) up to – and including – the point of retail sale. State and territory agencies are responsible for regulation beyond the point of sale.
- The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) regulates therapeutic products (medicines and medical devices) throughout their lifecycle through risk assessment, post-market monitoring and enforcement of standards. Depending on their level of risk, medicines must be registered or listed on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods before they can be supplied in or exported from Australia.
- Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) assesses food additives for their safety and appropriate consumption levels. It also develops and administers the Food Standards Code to regulate the use of additives and other chemicals used in (or with) food, including contaminants and natural toxicants. Food standards are enforced by the states and territories.
- The Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme (AICIS) assesses new and existing industrial chemicals for health and environmental risks when used in Australian states or territories.
- The Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management Standard (IChEMS) is a national approach to managing chemical import, use and disposal and specifies risk management measures for chemicals. The national IChEMS Register applies in NSW under the POEO Act. See Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management Standard.