Part 4Provisions relating to recognition, territorial authorities, administration, and enforcement
Powers and enforcement: Approvals by chief executive
291Approvals by chief executive
This section applies if a requirement of this Act requires any of the following to be used:
- an approved document, material, or facility:
- an approved person or approved class of persons.
The chief executive may approve—
- a document, material, or facility; or
- a person or a class of persons.
Examples of the kinds of documents, materials, or facilities that the chief executive may approve are—
- compounds:
- devices:
- documents:
- equipment:
- identification systems:
- laboratories:
- methodologies:
- places:
- sampling techniques:
- security devices:
- systems:
- techniques.
Before approving a document, material, or facility, the chief executive—
- must be satisfied that the document, material, or facility is appropriate, safe, and suitable for a purpose for which a requirement of this Act may require it to be used; and
- must take into account the criteria prescribed in regulations made under section 386, if there are any such regulations.
Before approving a person or class of persons, the chief executive—
- must be satisfied that the person or class of persons has the competencies, training, qualifications, and experience that are suitable for a purpose for which a requirement of this Act may require the person or class of person to be used; and
- must take into account the criteria prescribed in regulations made under section 386, if there are any such regulations.
The chief executive may give an approval under this section subject to conditions.
In the case of an approved laboratory, a condition may include reporting requirements relating to certain test results (including specified contaminants in food).
An approval must end within 3 years from the date of approval.
The chief executive gives approval by issuing a notice under section 405.
The notice must state—
- any conditions subject to which the approval is given; and
- the date on which the approval ends.
Before an approval ends, the chief executive may issue a new notice under section 405 approving the document, material, or facility or the persons or class of person for a period of up to 3 years.
The chief executive may suspend or withdraw an approval by issuing a notice under section 405.
For the purposes of subsection (12), Parts 3 and 4 of Schedule 4 apply to the suspension or withdrawal of approval to the extent that they are relevant and with all necessary modifications.


