Agriculture Victoria Connect

What is Agriculture Victoria Connect?

Agriculture Victoria Connect is an authenticated single-entry point where you will have a 360-degree view of your relationship with Agriculture Victoria.

How will Agriculture Victoria Connect assist me?

Agriculture Victoria Connect will progressively enable you to maintain your compliance with regulations overseen by Agriculture Victoria. Currently, you can complete all tasks related to the application for and renewal of Chemical Use Authorities.

Some of the benefits are:

• Ability to track the progress of your application or information you have provided to Agriculture Victoria.
• A profile for yourself and/or your business entity that can be used in future applications and can be updated as needed.
• Easy identification of all licences or permits attached to a personal or business profile.
• 24hr system access allowing you to complete transactions outside of standard business hours.
• Ability to complete transactions on your mobile device.
• Pay for your licence or permit renewals and applications.

Food safety standards

Food Standards Australia and New Zealand introduced new food safety and compliance standards for berries, leafy green vegetables and melons in 2022 to the national Food Standards Code.

These standards will take effect from 12 February 2025 and will be regulated in Victoria by Agriculture Victoria.

What licences or permits can I apply for in Agriculture Victoria Connect?

Currently Agriculture Victoria Connect can support applications for, and renewal of:

• Agricultural Chemical Use Permit (ACUP)
• Pilot Chemical Rating Licence (PCRL)
• Agricultural Aircraft Operators Licence (AAOL)

Can I apply for or renew my Commercial Operators Licence (COL) using Agriculture Victoria Connect?

No, this licence type is not currently supported in Agriculture Victoria Connect. If you need to apply for, or renew a COL, please visit the COL page.

Who do I contact if Agriculture Victoria Connect is not working, I am confused or need support?

You should contact the Biosecurity Services Centre on 1800 678 779 Mon-Fri between 9am-4.30pm

Creating an account

How do I create a user account?

From the landing page of Agriculture Victoria Connect, click on Create Account and follow the prompts.

Do I have to create a user account? I just want to renew my Chemical Use Authority.

Yes, you must create a user account in Agriculture Victoria Connect to complete any transactions or view your licences or permits. Agriculture Victoria Connect relies on your user account profile information to auto-populate future applications or renewals and ensure we always hold the correct information about you, making it easy to contact you if required.

I already have a licence or permit that is not due for renewal or the renewal notice I received did not contain a token, how do I access my records?

1. Call Biosecurity Services Centre on 1800 678 779 Monday through Friday between 9am-4.30pm to receive a token
2. Proceed to Agriculture Victoria Connect and click on Create Account
3. Follow the prompts to complete your account creation and activate your profile
4. Enter the token when you update your profile and your licence or permit will be linked to your account

I have a renewal notification for an existing licence or permit

1. Proceed to Agriculture Victoria Connect and click on Create Account
2. Follow the prompts to complete your account creation and activate your profile
3. Enter the token you received with your renewal when you update your profile and your licence or permit will be linked to your account
4. Follow the Renewing a Licence or Permit instructions provided below.

I do not have an existing licence or permit but want a profile in Agriculture Victoria Connect

1. Proceed to Agriculture Victoria Connect and click on Create Account
2. Follow the prompts to complete your account creation and activate your profile.

I created an account but I didn't connect my existing records, how can I connect to them?

1. You must have a token from your renewal notice or by contacting the Biosecurity Services Centre on 1800 678 779 Monday through Friday between 9am-4.30pm
2. Login to Agriculture Victoria Connect
3. Click on My Records from the LHS navigation
4. Click on Connect to existing authorities
5. Check the "I have been given a token to connect to my Agriculture Victoria Connect records" box
6. Follow the prompts to connect to your records

If at any time you need assistance, call the Biosecurity Services Centre on 1800 678 779 Monday through Friday between 9am-4.30pm

Renewing a Licence or Permit

I have received a renewal notification for my licence or permit. What should I do?

Pre-requisites:

• You must have an Agriculture Victoria Connect user account to renew your licence or permit. If you do not have one, follow the steps above to create your account before proceeding.
• You must have connected to your existing licences or permits to perform a renewal. Please follow the relevant steps above to connect to your records before proceeding to renewal.

1. Login to Agriculture Victoria Connect
2. Click on My Records on the LHS navigation
3. Click on the licence or permit you want to renew
4. From the Actions menu on the top RHS of the screen, select Renew to enter the renewal process
5. Follow the prompts to complete your renewal

For businesses

Registering a business

To register a business in Agriculture Victoria Connect, you must first register as an individual and create a user account.

When you have created your account, you can register your business using My Businesses from the LHS navigation, click on + Add Business and follow the prompts to register your business.

You can access your business profile page from My Businesses once it has been registered.

Regulatory compliance activities

A business registered with Agriculture Victoria Connect requires individuals to be associated with it.

Click on the Manage Associations button on the Business Profile page to add, remove or update the roles of people associated to your business.

Business Roles

Roles in Agriculture Victoria Connect provide greater control for business owners to manage their business profile, business records and who can operate on behalf of the business. You may have more than one role associated to you in Agriculture Victoria Connect. For example, you may be the 'Administrator' of the business, and also be able to apply, renew or endorse a licence or permit for the business which requires the 'Applicant' role.

There are 3 roles in Agriculture Victoria Connect:

• Administrator: An Administrator can manage all aspects of the business record and will have full access and editing capability of the business records and profile. An administrator will receive Administrator Notifications to approve changes to the business record or the roles of users associated with the business, and it is their responsibility to ensure the business profile remains up-to-date.
• Applicant: The Applicant role is required for individuals who are authorised to apply, renew or endorse licences or permits on behalf of the business. This role on its own does not allow the user to modify the business profile.
• Associate: This is a default role given to all people who create a profile in Agriculture Victoria Connect. It will allow a user to view business profile information but with no editing capability.

Can I apply for a licence or permit on behalf of my staff?

You cannot apply on behalf of anyone. Each individual user must apply for their own permit or licence, even if they use it as part of their employment. Applicants are required to confirm both their suitability for an authority and their understanding of the obligations associated with any licence or permit they hold. It is not possible for an employer to do this on an employee’s behalf.

Can my boss apply for me?

No, you must apply for a permit or licence, even if you use it as part of your employment. As an applicant for a licence or permit you are required to confirm your suitability for an authority and your understanding of the obligations associated with any licence or permit you are granted.

When someone leaves the business

If a staff member leaves a business they will be able to access the business record until they are removed from the business in Agriculture Victoria Connect. To ensure the business record remains accurate one the following activities should be undertaken:

• The employee leaving should remove themselves from the business in Agriculture Victoria Connect by the their last day of employment. The 'Administrator' receives notification of this change.
• If the person leaving the business does not remove their association with the business, an 'Administrator' should remove the association of the employee to the business as soon as possible.
• If the person leaving the business is classified as an 'Administrator,' they will need to ensure an alternative employee is classified as an 'Administrator' prior to their departure. There must be at least one individual with the 'Administrator' role associated to the business at all times.

If you have any problems with associating individuals to your business in Agriculture Victoria Connect, contact the Biosecurity Services Centre on 1800 678 779 Monday through Friday between 9am-4.30pm.

Updating the business section of Agriculture Victoria Connect

1. Go to "My Businesses" in Agriculture Victoria Connect which is found in the left hand side navigation
2. If your business has not already been added, select "Add Business" and follow the prompts to add your business
3. Once the business has been registered, it will appear in the "My Business List", click on the business to open the Business Profile page
4. Use the Manage Associations button to add, remove or modify the associations of individuals to your business

Notes:

• If you only have an ACN, the business will be verified manually on ASIC by the Biosecurity Service Centre, and you will be notified within 5 business days
• You can only associate individuals who are registered user of Agriculture Victoria Connect to your business. Please confirm with the individual that they have created an account prior to trying to associate them with your business.