Remaking sunsetting instrument without significant amendments – Department of Defence
On 28 March 2019, the Department of Defence (Defence) remade the Defence and Strategic Goods List 1996, which was due to sunset on 1 April 2019, with only minor amendments. The newly remade Defence and Strategic Goods List 2019 (DSGL) will now sunset on 1 April 2029.
The DSGL lists the military and dual-use goods and technology that are subject to Australian export control regulation. The content of the DSGL is primarily drawn from regularly updated control lists of four international export control regimes to which Australia is a member:
- The Wassenaar Arrangement, established in 1995 to contribute to regional and international security and stability, by promoting transparency and greater responsibility in transfers of conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies, thus preventing destabilising accumulations including acquisition by terrorists;
- The Missile Technology Control Regime, established in 1987 to coordinate national export licensing efforts aimed at preventing proliferation of unmanned delivery systems, including missiles, complete rocket systems and unmanned air vehicles, capable of delivering weapons of mass destruction.
- The Australia Group, formed in 1985 to harmonise export controls to ensure that exports do not contribute to the development of chemical or biological weapons, by allowing exporting or transshipping countries to minimise the risk of chemical and biological weapons proliferation; and
- The Nuclear Suppliers Group, created in 1974 to contribute to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, by preventing civilian nuclear trade from contributing to nuclear weapons programs in non-nuclear weapon states.
Consistent with government best practice regulation requirements for sunsetting instruments, Defence has, after consultation with industry, assessed the instrument as operating effectively and efficiently. Therefore, a Regulatory Impact Statement is not required for remaking this instrument without significant amendments.