Don't forget quarantine when Santa does his rounds
23 December 2008
Santa is set to clear quarantine for another year, avoiding any Christmas complications by ensuring all his presents meet Australia’s strict quarantine requirements.
The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service today urged Australians to follow Santa’s lead and be aware of quarantine laws and pass the message on to family and friends overseas.
AQIS checks luggage and 100 per cent of mail arriving in Australia for potential pests and diseases.
“Quarantine officers are on high alert checking gifts containing prohibited items such as pine cones, spruce cuttings, mistletoe, Christmas cakes with suet or uncooked fruit or nuts, salami and other meats, cheeses, straw Christmas decorations, plant material and animal products,” AQIS Executive Director Rob Delane said.
“Last festive season AQIS international mail centres seized more than 40,000 parcels from October 2007 to January 2008, and international airports seized more than 85,000 items from November 2007 to December 2007.”
Depending on the quarantine risk, the item may be released, treated for a fee, returned to sender for a fee, or destroyed by AQIS.
Failing to comply with Australian quarantine laws can be a costly mistake. If you are caught with undeclared items of quarantine concern, you risk on the spot fines of up to A$220. For serious cases, prosecution and penalties of more than A$60,000 may apply, which may result in a criminal record.
Ensure your gifts are quarantine friendly this festive season by:
- informing friends and family overseas not to send prohibited items and to make sure they correctly fill out the Postal Declaration Label
- correctly fill in your Incoming Passenger Card before landing in Australia.
Mr Delane said internet shoppers should also be wary of buying gifts online that could pose a risk to Australia’s primary industries and environment.
“The rapid growth of internet shopping has also seen an increase in the amount of food, plant and animal material being posted to Australia,” he said.