From 13 July 2026 the list of approval powers in paragraph 6(1)(a) no longer refers to an approval in principle, so the Principles describe a single approval of premises.
What the provision does
Item 1 omits the words "in principle" from paragraph 6(1)(a) of the 2017 Principles. That paragraph is the first item in the list of powers to which the Principles apply: the power to approve premises as an accredited pathology laboratory. Removing the phrase takes the in-principle approval out of the list. The other paragraphs of subsection 6(1), which deal with refusing an approval and with varying or revoking an approval, are unchanged. The item is consequential to the repeal of the pathology fees and the streamlining of the application process described in the Explanatory Statement.
Why it matters
The amendment aligns the Principles with the application process that Services Australia now runs. Before the change, an applicant could hold an approval in principle and later seek the final approval. The amendment removes that intermediate state from the description of the Minister's powers. The practical effect is that an application is assessed once, against the statutory criteria and the assessment report.
What changed, and when
Item 1 commenced on 13 July 2026. It is one of the eight items that remove the in-principle stage, consequential to the repeal of the pathology fees and the streamlining of the approval process described in the Explanatory Statement.
This unit is one of the ten that commenced on 13 July 2026. It is not waiting for 1 July 2027. A record that treats it as future will describe the wrong approval process or the wrong edition at the next assessment.
What to do about it
Check the application guide, the delegation schedule and the internal checklist for a step labelled approval in principle. Remove the step and the associated form. Where a legacy file records an in-principle approval, decide how it is to be treated and record the decision. Do not delete the history; annotate it.
What the assessor asks for
| Category | Artefact to have ready |
|---|---|
| Procedure | The current approval procedure showing one approval decision and no in-principle stage |
| Form | The application form and checklist with the in-principle fields removed or marked superseded |
| Legacy file | A note on any historical in-principle approval that records how it was resolved |
The question that follows. A reviewer may ask why the approval procedure still has a two-stage diagram, and the answer should point to the commencement date.
Gaps that lose a file
- A procedure that still offers a two-stage approval
- An old form still in use after 13 July 2026
- A legacy in-principle file with no note
Before the date
- Search every controlled document for "in principle"
- Revise the approval flowchart
- Annotate legacy files
Dates
| Date | What happens | Source pointer |
|---|---|---|
| Item 1 commences | s 2 table item 2 |
Cross-references
The high-confidence object · The approval test · Authority
Source
Schedule 1 item 1, amending paragraph 6(1)(a) of the 2017 Principles. The operative text is F2026L00927 on the Federal Register, with the parent 2017 Principles and the Explanatory Statement. Our statement, not the instrument verbatim.
Not legal advice; does not certify. A reading of the provision and the evidence an assessor commonly samples, not a substitute for the instrument, the standards or your accreditation body's rules.