Development Environment

Updated plant breeder's rights instruments

IP Australia has updated instruments that relate to the paying of fees and the general filing of documents.

Plant breeders rights

Published on 07 Aug 2026

Plant Breeder's Rights (Approved Means of Paying a Fee) Determination 2026

Plant Breeder's Rights (Means of Lodging or Giving Documents) Determination 2026

The Registrar, by way of non-legislative instruments, may:

  • determine the means for filing a document with the Plant Breeder's Rights Office, and
  • determine the means for paying a fee.

IP Australia has published two instruments in the Plant Varieties Journal in preparation for their commencement on 1 September 2026.

They set out the requirements in relation to:

  • the approved and preferred means of paying fees:
    • Plant Breeder's Rights (Approved Means of Paying a Fee) Determination 2026.
  • the means of filing documents:
    • Plant Breeder's Rights (Means Lodging and Giving Documents) Determination 2026.

The instruments change the requirements that presently apply in relation to these matters in the following manner:

  • The approved means for paying a fee now includes debit card as an approved means of payment (via Visa or Mastercard) and removes EFTPOS and accounts for selected services as options.
  • The means and form of filing documents instrument updates our mechanism for alternative lodgement where there is an outage in our digital lodgement systems. Our Alternative Lodgement Process involves the use of facsimile (see Declaration for use of emergency fax).

Copies of the instruments can be found at IP legislation in Australia.

For more information, please email MDB-QEP@ipaustralia.gov.au.