Recently, the Australian government announced the implementation of simplified measures for compliance with the Specific Information Requirements (SIR) for industrial chemicals. These new regulations will take effect on July 25, 2025, and aim to assist enterprises in reporting the introduction of chemicals subject to SIR. The changes are based on public feedback regarding challenges with SIR compliance. AICIS identified that the process for retrieving obligations from SIR assessments transferred from NICNAS needs optimization, and the existing SIR submission procedures requires improvement.
Key changes include:
- Improves Inventory Chemical Records: Enhancing the search functionality for chemicals with SIR to facilitate enterprises in locating necessary information.
- Updated and Expanded Guidelines: Clarifying the criteria for enterprises to submit information to the Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme (AICIS).
- Upgraded SIR Online Forms: Streamlining the process for enterprises to submit information to AICIS.
About Specific Information Requirements (SIR)
SIR is an obligation set for importers or manufacturers of industrial chemicals, requiring the submission of chemical introduction information under specific circumstances. This mechanism aims to identify any new risks that may arise from the introduction of chemicals. Currently, about 10% of the inventory chemicals carry SIR clauses, most of which are inherited from the National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme (NICNAS) implemented before July 1, 2020. Whether an enterprise needs to submit information depends on the specific SIR rules and the circumstances of the chemical introduction.
Inventory Chemical Records Improvement Plan
For the approximately 4000 SIR-containing chemicals in the inventory, AICIS will implement three measures:
- Extract information from the secondary notification part of NICNAS assessment reports and enter it into SIR fields, reducing the need for businesses to consult original reports.
- Ensure that protected information (such as chemical names and CAS numbers) is not disclosed.
- Clearly mark polymers of low concern (PLC) that have been assessed, which are subject to different information requirements.
To provide more detailed explanations of SIR obligations, AICIS will formally revise the listed SIR clauses. The regulatory burden on enterprises will remain unchanged, but compliance convenience will be enhanced. The new downloadable inventory (planned to be released as the 7th edition in August 2025) will be updated simultaneously. Additionally, three new features will be added:
- Include links to guidelines to assist enterprise decision-making.
- Add direct links to NICNAS assessment reports in most records.
- Clearly mark cases where reports cannot be linked due to information protection.
SIR Form Upgrade
The new dedicated online form will optimize the information submission process within the AICIS enterprise services system, particularly benefiting enterprises that already possess:
- Chemical information and SIR details;
- Justifications for reporting information to AICIS.
Important Notice: Enterprises must submit or cancel existing form drafts before July 24, 2025. From July 25, 2025, onwards, new forms must be used for submissions.
Further Information
