National Health Security Act 2007

This section applies if the Director‑General of the CDC believes, on reasonable grounds, that:

a reportable event has occurred in relation to a registered entity; and

the entity was required to give a report about the event under subsection 48(3) or section 48A; and

the entity has not given the report as required by that subsection or section.

The Director‑General of the CDC may give the registered entity a written notice stating that, if the entity does not, within the period specified in the notice or such longer period as the Director‑General allows, give the Director‑General a report that complies with paragraphs 48(5)(a) and (b) about the reportable event, the Director‑General may require the entity to dispose of its entire holdings of the security‑sensitive biological agent to which the reportable event relates.

Disposal would not be appropriate if the entity’s entire holdings of that security‑sensitive biological agent have already been disposed of, or were lost or stolen.

The Director‑General of the CDC may also direct a particular individual not to handle security‑sensitive biological agents: see section 59.

If:

the Director‑General of the CDC gives an entity a written notice under subsection (2) in relation to a reportable event; and

the entity does not, within the period allowed under that subsection, give the Director‑General a report that complies with paragraphs 48(5)(a) and (b) about the reportable event;

Failure to comply with a direction to dispose of a security‑sensitive biological agent is an offence: see section 54.

A period specified in a direction given under subsection (3) must be reasonable having regard to the circumstances.