KEY FINDINGS FROM APVMA REVIEW
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
* No inappropriate registration of chemicals, but concern about timeframes for registrations, assessments and approvals being prioritised over monitoring, compliance and enforcement
* The authority has put more focus on education rather than enforcement, even in circumstances where criminal prosecution and civil penalties have been recommended to it
* The authority is too close to the industry it regulates, with industry interests "embedded into the APVMA's regulatory priorities and culture"
* The chemical review program is running very late - of the 10 ongoing chemical reviews, eight have been in progress for over 15 years or more, with seven ongoing for nearly 20 years
* Government procurement rules are not being properly followed
* Staff turnover during the move from Canberra to Armidale impacted on the skills and capabilities within the authority
* The APVMA has an "unacceptable volume of personnel-related complaints for an agency of its size, including allegations of serious misconduct"
* The report noted an incident at a 2021 Christmas party in which a senior male staffer allegedly urinated on other staff members
* The authority's governance structure should be clarified.
Australian Associated Press