Can I decline an LPA audit?
It is a condition of LPA accreditation that producers agree to participate in an audit if requested. Refusal to participate may result in LPA accreditation being withdrawn.
The National Residue Survey (NRS) is part of the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF). Its role is to manage the risk of chemical residues and environmental contaminants in animal and plant products.
The NRS audit program monitors the cattle, sheep and goat industries. Since 2009, there have been more than 30,000 NRS targeted property audits conducted in Australia as part of a comprehensive approach to residue management.
NRS targeted audits are completed on behalf of ISC by qualified AUS-MEAT auditors and include a focus on chemical use, residue risks and animal treatments. Information collected during NRS targeted audits is provided to DAFF to help the Australian livestock industry achieve quality assurance and food safety initiatives, as well as develop policy and conduct other related activities.
Either ISC or DAFF may disclose audit information to other government, statutory and regulatory authorities to assist with their regulatory or compliance functions. Any personal information collected and disclosed through an audit is protected by the Privacy Act 1988. DAFF will only handle your personal information in accordance with its privacy policy. For more information, visit the NRS website.
All LPA-accredited producers – from large scale operators to hobby farmers – may be audited to check how records are maintained and how food safety, biosecurity and animal welfare management is being carried out on-farm.
Read more about LPA audits.
If you disagree with a nonconformity issued to you during an audit, you may lodge an appeal by writing to ISC in accordance with the LPA Rules.
Full details of the nonconformity process, including the appeals process, are set out in the LPA Rules or by phoning 1800 683 111.
Producers selected for an audit will receive a notification letter informing them of their selection.
Following the letter, you will be contacted by a representative from LPA’s auditing body, AUSMEAT, to schedule a suitable time and date for the audit. You will receive an audit checklist that covers what evidence or documentation is required for each LPA requirement and the process for managing issues identified in an audit.
Read more about LPA audits and download a copy of the audit checklist.
All LPA accredited producers – from large scale operators to hobby farmers – may be audited.
Approximately 2500 producers are selected each year at random from the list of producers who have not yet been audited.
Annually, there are 1000 audits selected based on LPA risks and non-compliance areas such as NLIS transfers not being completed, biosecurity risk issues and LPA NVD non-compliance.
For producers accredited under a Voluntary Module audit frequencies may differ.
It may be possible that one or more of your on-farm management practices or your record keeping does not meet LPA standards. To ensure these issues are followed up and resolved, an auditor will record it as a ‘nonconformity’ and issue a ‘corrective action request’, or a CAR, to the producer.
A nonconformity is either categorised as minor, major or critical, depending on the potential impact it could have on food safety, traceability, biosecurity or animal welfare.
A minor nonconformity is an area where on-farm actions slightly vary from the LPA Standards but it is unlikely to directly affect food safety, biosecurity or animal welfare. These are recorded as an ‘observation’ in your LPA Account and represent opportunities for improvement in your overall farm management system.
A major nonconformity is an issue that has the potential to compromise food safety, biosecurity or animal welfare. It is called a corrective action request (CAR) and must be rectified by the due date as instructed by the auditor.
If a CAR has been issued, you will notice an alert in your LPA Account. Producers need to take the required action to resolve the issue and provide evidence of the action taken. Once action is taken, the evidence/documentation can be provided directly to AUS-MEAT via email or uploaded directly to the CAR in your LPA account for review and closure. ISC has developed a fact sheet for more information on how to respond to a CAR. Once reviewed and accepted by either AUS-MEAT or ISC, the CAR will be closed.
A critical nonconformity affects the integrity of the Australian red meat industry or the LPA program, compromises the LPA Rules or Standards or jeopardises food safety, biosecurity or animal welfare. It is recorded as a critical incident report. Examples include the feeding of restricted animal material to livestock, a residue detection above maximum residue limits or incorrect management of HGP treated livestock.
If a critical incident report is issued, your accreditation may be suspended until you demonstrate that the issue has been addressed. If you do not address a suspension, you will have your LPA accreditation withdrawn.
If a critical incident is identified, you will be required to participate in additional audits to ensure that the nonconformity has been addressed and this audit may attract a fee.
Annually, 2,500 producers are selected at random and 1,000 selected for targeted audits due to system identified non-conformance.
LPA accreditation costs $90 (+GST) every two years.
There are no charges for LPA audits unless you need to be re-audited due to critical nonconformity.
You will be notified in writing by Integrity Systems Company that your PIC has been selected for audit. You will receive a follow-up phone call with an auditor to schedule a time to conduct the audit. If you are selected for a remote (virtual) audit, the auditor will contact you to arrange a time for a phone call and ensure documents are made available for review in the LPA system by an agreed date.
With your notification letter, you’ll also receive an Audit Notification Pack to help you prepare. This includes a checklist to help make sure the current records are up to date and provide the required information. You’ll have a few weeks to review the pack and to gather the records you need for the audit.
The audit will take 2-3 hours, either at your computer (if a remote audit) or farm office/house. The auditor will check how records are maintained and assess on-farm practices for compliance with the LPA Rules and Standards. The auditor may request to visit key sites on your farm to ensure your records reflect on-farm activity. If any nonconformities are identified, the auditor will advise you before they depart.
If selected to complete an audit remotely, the producer must upload the required documents to the ‘Audit records’ page of the nominated LPA account two days before the scheduled date of audit, before notifying the auditor of the submission via phone or email. The auditor will then arrange a time with the producer to review the documentation to complete the audit.
For more information see out how-to guide on how to submit evidence for a remote audit.
You can email LPA.Audits@ausmeat.com.au or operations@integritysystems.com.au.