The WA Dangerous Goods Safety (Security Risk Substances) Regulations 2007 (the SRS Regulations) came into force following the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) agreement related to counter-terrorism measures.
The requirements of the SRS Regulations are in addition to the requirements of the other dangerous goods safety regulations.
The following substances, other than Class 1 dangerous goods, are security risk substances (SRS) in
Western Australia:
· Solid mixtures containing more than 45% ammonium nitrate (AN); and
· Ammonium nitrate emulsions, suspensions or gels.
This includes calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN), which is not a dangerous good under the UN classification system.
The SRS licensing system allows only specifically authorized persons to possess SRS and have unsupervised access to them.
Authorized persons are either licence holders or so-called ‘secure employees’ of licence holders.
In order to obtain an SRS licence, a legitimate purpose must be demonstrated, such as:
· Use for manufacture of commercial explosives and non-SRS products such as nitrous oxide;
· Use in laboratories for research, teaching and testing; and
· Fertilizer use by primary producers.
Licences are not issued for household use or fertilization of recreational grounds (e.g. sports grounds, parks, gardens).
Licensed shotfirers and operators of mobile processing units (MPUs; licensed under the Explosives Regulations) do not need to be separately authorized to possess SRS.
Anyone else requires one or more of the following three-year licences to possess or purchase SRS:
· SRS import/export licence;
· SRS manufacture licence (allows associated storage);
· SRS storage licence;
· SRS transport licence;
· SRS supply licence; and
· SRS fertilizer licence (combination licence for transport, storage and use).
SRS manufacture, storage, transport and fertilizer licences require a security plan as a precondition for obtaining the licence.
SRS licences are only issued to applicants in possession of a valid security clearance, as shown by a current dangerous goods security card.
The security clearance process is conducted by the WA Police Service.
It is an offence for an employer or secure employees to allow unsupervised access to SRS by an employee without a security clearance.
Further Guidance can be found by clicking this link.