From November 2018, the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources will make the Plant Export Management System (PEMS) available for industry use.

PEMS is an IT system that is used to capture and store information relating to the export of plants and plant products from Australia, including inspection results for plant export product and transport units.

Currently, PEMS only allows departmental Authorised Officers (AOs) to enter and submit inspection results and any supporting documentation. By making PEMS available to industry, the Department aims to streamline the plant export inspection documentation process for clients and external AOs by reducing the need for manual submission and processing of inspection documentation.

According to the Department, opening PEMS up to industry means that for the first time:

  • Exporters and EDI users will be able view their Request for Permits in PEMS and upload supporting documentation, post-inspection, directly into the system (for inspections recorded in PEMS only).
  • Export registered establishments will be able to view and download inspection records from inspections conducted at their establishment (for inspections recorded in PEMS only).
  • External plant export AOs will be able to complete inspection records in PEMS and provide exporters with electronic copies of inspection documents.

Everything you need to know about PEMS can be found on the Department’s Plant Export Management System ​webpage, including how PEMS can help your exporting business. This page has been updated to include new information about PEMS, AO training dates and instructional material relevant to all users.

For more information on the industry launch of PEMS, including who will be required to register for access and what support will be available for clients using PEMS, take a look at the full industry advisory notice from the Department.

This post appeared in the AUSVEG Weekly Update published 23 October 2018. Subscribe to the Update using our online form to receive the latest industry news in your inbox every week!