Authorisation requirements

Agsafe accreditation

Retail businesses that supply 1080 or PAPP pest animal bait product must be Agsafe 1080 and PAPP accredited. Staff at these accredited premises that handle these products must hold Agsafe 1080 and PAPP personnel accreditation.

See Sale and manufacture of 1080 and PAPP products.

Businesses that supply other agricultural and veterinary chemical products can choose to become Agsafe accredited to assist them to comply with Commonwealth and state laws and regulations.

See Agsafe for more information on accreditations.

Authorisation to be supplied restricted chemicals

A number of high-risk chemical products are classified as Restricted Use and Restricted Supply chemicals under Commonwealth requirements.

Supply of restricted chemical products

Restricted Chemical Products (RCPs) are restricted in all states and territories. They are also commonly known as ‘restricted supply’ chemicals in Victoria. The product label of a ‘restricted supply’ chemicals will include the statement:

'Restricted chemical product – Only to be supplied to or used by an authorised person’

The most common RCPs supplied by farm chemical retailers are 1080 or PAPP pest animal bait products.

Under Commonwealth requirements, RCPs can only be supplied to people who are:

  • over the age of 18, and
  • hold an appropriately endorsed authorisation.

Under Victorian law, to be supplied an RCP in Victoria, a person needs to hold one of the following appropriately endorsed licences or permits:

The endorsement required will depend on the product being supplied.

The best way to ensure that RCPs are only being supplied to appropriately authorised persons is to sight their authorisation prior to supply.

Depending on the product being purchased, people may also need to produce evidence of completing relevant training (for example, Chemical Operator Licence holders must produce their vermin destroyer endorsed COL as well as their 1080 and PAPP user training certificate, as completion of this training is not marked on the licence).

Recording authorisation details can be used to demonstrate that these details were sighted and checked in store.

For more information and the full list of RCPs, see APVMA restricted chemical products.

Agents

Sometimes a person collects a product on behalf of another user. This person is called an agent. An agent must be authorised to be supplied the product, even though they may not be the end user. For example, a baiting coordinator or Landcare representative managing a 1080 baiting program collecting baits on behalf of participants would be considered an agent.

Retailers (and agents) should refuse to supply products to a person if they cannot present proof of authorisation.

Supply of restricted use products

‘Restricted use’ chemicals are a group of certain agricultural chemicals that can only be used in Victoria by people who are trained in their safe handling and use and hold an appropriately endorsed licence or permit.

Restricted use products are agricultural chemical products which:

  • are Schedule 7 Poisons ('DANGEROUS POISON' signal heading on label)
  • contain atrazine
  • contain metham sodium, or
  • are ester formulations of 2,4-D, 2,4-DB, MCPA and triclopyr.

To be supplied a restricted use product you may not need to hold any authorisation (unless that product is also an RCP, e.g. 1080 and PAPP products, where authorisation would be necessary). However, as authorisation is needed to use these products, retailers are encouraged to check and remind the purchaser of the end users’ obligations.

If you wish to supply any Schedule 7 substance by wholesale from Victoria, you need to obtain a poisons licence from the Victorian Department of Health (DoH). There may also be other permits required by DoH to obtain particularly dangerous Schedule 7 chemical products (which are generally not used in agricultural activities). Refer to the DoH website for more information.

Page last updated: 10 Jul 2023