Commonwealth Consolidated Regulations Commonwealth Consolidated Regulations(1) The Agriculture Minister may, on request by the Director of Biosecurity, direct that information relating to a specified matter connected with a review conducted by the Inspector - General should not be made publicly available on the grounds that doing so would:
(a) prejudice the security, defence or international relations of the Commonwealth; or
(b) prejudice negotiations relating to a treaty or other international agreement; or
(c) be contrary to a treaty or other international agreement to which Australia is a party; or
(d) prejudice relations between the Commonwealth and a State or Territory; or
(e) involve the disclosure of deliberations or decisions of the Cabinet or of a Committee of the Cabinet; or
(f) involve the disclosure of deliberations or advice of the Executive Council; or
(g) prejudice the prevention, investigation or prosecution of an offence against any law; or
(h) prejudice the prevention or investigation of, or the conduct of proceedings for recovery of civil penalties for, a contravention of any law; or
(i) be contrary to an order of a court or tribunal; or
(j) be contrary to the public interest for any other reason that could form the basis for a claim in a judicial proceeding that information relating to the matter should not be disclosed or documents relating to the matter should not be produced; or
(k) endanger the safety of any person; or
(l) prejudice the revenue of the Commonwealth.
(2) If the Director of Biosecurity makes a request under subsection (1), the Director of Biosecurity must notify the Inspector - General, in writing, that the request has been made.
(3) If the Agriculture Minister receives a request under subsection (1) in relation to information relating to a specified matter, the Agriculture Minister must:
(a) decide whether or not to give a direction in relation to the information; and
(b) notify the Director of Biosecurity and the Inspector - General, in writing, of the decision; and
(c) if the Agriculture Minister decides that making the information publicly available would be prejudicial to the public interest on a ground referred to in any of paragraphs (1)(a) to (l)--give the Director of Biosecurity and the Inspector - General, in writing, a direction to that effect and the reasons for the direction.
(4) The Inspector - General must not make information relating to the specified matter publicly available, or publish a review report including information relating to the specified matter, unless the Inspector - General has been notified of the Agriculture Minister's decision under paragraph (3)(b).
(5) If the Agriculture Minister gives the Inspector - General a direction under paragraph (3)(c) in relation to information relating to a specified matter, the Inspector - General must not make the information publicly available or include it in a review report.