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Australia remains a strong supporter of the plurilateral Environmental Goods Agreement (EGA) negotiations (...)

Table 3.11 Exports subject to licensing or other restrictions, 2019
Item: Ozone depleting substances(ODSs)/synthetic greenhouse gases (SGGs)
Justification: International commitments
Measure: Exportation of certain ODSs and SGGs is prohibited unless a licence has been granted by an authorized person at the Department of the Environment and Energy, as a delegate of the responsible minister. The licence requirement does not apply in certain circumstances.

Other agencies that are involved in international trade policy and trade relations include the Departments of Home Affairs; Agriculture and Water Resources; Industry, Innovation and Science; Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development; the Environment and Energy; Communications and the Arts; Health; and the Treasury.

The Biosecurity Act, 2015 and the Biosecurity Regulation, 2016 mandate the Department of Agriculture to review existing trade and to undertake risk analysis in response to requests to import goods that have never been imported into Australia, or have not previously been imported from a particular country or region. The risk analysis may be conducted through a regulated process provided for in the legislation (Biosecurity Import Risk Analysis – BIRA) or through a non-regulated procedure (e.g. a scientific review of existing policy and import conditions, a pest-specific assessment, a weed risk assessment, or a biological control agent assessment). If the identified biosecurity risks exceed the appropriate level of protection (ALOP) for Australia, goods may not be imported unless the proposed risk management measures reduce the risks to an acceptable level. Australia's risk assessment method has been used since 2001, and includes a risk estimation matrix that follows international principles consistent with World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and International Plant Protection Convention risk management standards. Australia's ALOP is only considered achieved when the estimated risk is at or below "very low".

Australia is a party to numerous regional and bilateral treaties, conventions and agreements for the establishment of joint bodies, for the sustainable management of shared fish resources, and for the combat of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. These include the establishment of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission, the South Pacific Forum Fisheries Agency, and the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission, the Convention for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna, the Convention on the Conservation and Management of High Seas Fishery Resources in the South Pacific Ocean, the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement, the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, the Treaty on Fisheries between the Governments of Certain Pacific Island States and the Government of the United States of America (1988), and the Niue Treaty on Cooperation in Fisheries Surveillance and Law Enforcement in the South Pacific Region. Australia also concluded two Memoranda of Understanding, one with Indonesia regarding the operations of Indonesian traditional fishermen in the AFZ and the continental shelf, and the other with New Zealand regarding the conservation and management of orange roughy on the South Tasman Rise.

Since 2016, responsibility for energy matters lies with the Department of the Environment and Energy, which, in addition to energy and environmental legislation, is also responsible for energy security.[25]

[25] Previously, the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science was responsible for energy matters.

Table 3.7 Imports subject to prohibition or non-automatic licensing, 2019
Item: Endangered animal and plant species export
Justification: International commitment (CITES)
Measure: Importation of CITES-listed species generally require an export permit from the country of origin and an import permit issued by the Department of the Environment and Energy. For live animals and plants, the Department of Agriculture administers further regulations and restrictions.

Table 4.3 Installed power-generating capacity, 2010-18
(GW)
Coal (...)
Natural gas (...)
Other fuels[a] (...)
Hydro[b] (...)
Wind (...)
Solar (...)

[a] Other fuels includes liquid fuels and refinery gas, liquid/gas and solid/liquid gas combined plants, and biofuels.
[b] Hydro includes pumped hydro storage capacity.

The EBPS, administered by the AusIndustry Division of the Department of Industry and Science, provides for duty-free imports of eligible goods to be used in major projects in mining, resource processing, agriculture, food processing, food packaging, manufacturing, and industries supplying gas, water and energy.

The Government also supports environmental projects and conservation management, through the National Landcare Programme (AUD 1 billion) and the Green Army (AUD 700 million).