If you will be transporting dangerous goods in packaging, you need to have the packaging design approved by the Department of Transport and Main Roads before it can be used for the transport of dangerous goods by road. Examples of packaging include:

• intermediate bulk containers
• outer packaging
• drums
• jerry cans
• boxes
• bottles
• bags.

Fee

The application fee is $60.45 (current to 30 June 2025). You must pay the fee at a transport and motoring customer service centre prior to posting your application.

Note: From 1 July 2024, fees will be frozen at their current level for 1 year to ease cost-of-living pressures for Queenslanders. Usually, fees increase each year due to indexation. The freeze will mean that fees will not increase on 1 July 2024 as they normally would.

Application checklist

Dangerous goods packaging design applications must include:

• a cover letter explaining the purpose of the application
• a copy of the application fee receipt (payable at any transport and motoring customer service centre)
• a National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) Certificate of Test (package performance test). It must address the applicable clauses required for packaging from the Australian Dangerous Goods Code. You must include diagrams of the packaging.

Submitting your application

Send your application to:

Industry and Operator Authorisation Unit
Department of Transport and Main Roads
PO Box 673
FORTITUDE VALLEY  QLD  4006

or

Email your application to dgu@tmr.qld.gov.au.

Approval process and guidelines

Approval of a packaging design by the department only applies to use of the packaging in Queensland. If the packaging will be used in other states and territories, make this known in your application. The approval will then be submitted to the Competent Authorities Panel (CAP) for national endorsement, which will allow the use of the packaging in other states and territories.

You may manufacture multiple units of the same packaging design. However, if any changes are made to the approved design, you must submit a new packaging design application, along with the application fee.

For more information about the application process for dangerous goods packaging, contact the department at dgu@tmr.qld.gov.au.