Ongoing regulatory compliance

Requesting changes to facility certification​

You can request changes to a facility certification such as a variation, extension, suspension, lift of suspension and surrender. Find out how the process works and how to lodge an application.

Types of changes you can request

You can request certain changes to your facility certification, including:

  • varying your certification
  • extending your certification
  • suspending your certification
  • lifting a suspension
  • surrendering your certification

You can notify us of short-term changes to your facility certification for the purpose of conducting minor works, under certain circumstances.

Before you lodge your application

  • Ensure you provide the minimum information with your application. We will not accept an application without it.
  • Check you are authorised by the certification holder to apply to modify a certification. We maintain a list of authorised persons for each certification holder. If you are not on this list, the application must state that you are authorised to request the modification.
  • Consult facility certification guidelines and Guidelines for the Transport, Storage and Disposal of GMOs, as required.

  • If the purpose of a variation or suspension application is to conduct minor works to a low level facility, consider submitting a notification of minor works form instead.

Lodge your application

Request changes to certification

Use this form to request a variation (including extensions), suspension, lifting of a suspension or surrender of your facility certification.

Notification of minor works

Use this form to notify us of commencement or completion of minor works to your PC1 or PC2 facility.

You can also email or post your request or notification, along with supporting information.

After you’ve lodged your application

If you lodge an application to request changes to certification online, you will receive an email receipt with a PDF of your application attached.

  • We will notify you of your application’s reference number. Please use this in any correspondence with us regarding the certification application.
  • Contact us if we have not notified you of your reference number within 2 weeks of lodging your application.

If you lodge a notification of commencement of minor works online, you will receive an email receipt with a PDF of your notification attached.

  • You may commence minor works 24 hours after submitting the notification without further confirmation from us.
  • You must notify us of completion of minor works without delay.

Time frames

There are no statutory time frames for actioning applications to modify certifications. However, we generally try to action:

  • variations within 90 working days
  • suspensions and lift of suspensions within 3 working days
  • surrenders within 7 working days.

If you require an urgent suspension contact us.

These time frames do not include weekends, ACT public holidays, and time spent waiting for applicants to respond to requests for additional information.

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