eBulletin No. 02-2009
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This information is also available in the following formats:
PDF [1.2mb]- Thai delegations
- Giant African Snail (GAS) review
- Import Clearance Effectiveness (ICE) report and the Integrated Cargo System (ICS) profile survey
- External Container Inspection Regime (ECIR) workshop
- Recent post quarantine detections (PQD)
- Topics covered in recent eBulletins
- Questions, comments and suggestions
- Summary of documents and alerts raised by AQIS Cargo Management in February 2009
Thai delegations
In response to problems with exotic seed contamination of new imported motor vehicles, a delegation from the Thai Government and car manufacturing industry met with representatives from AQIS and the Australian Federated Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) in early February to view AQIS new vehicle inspection operations at the Port of Brisbane, Queensland and Port Kembla, New South Wales. As a result the Thai Department of Agriculture is intending to enter into an arrangement and will be responsible for providing certification that inspections are carried out to AQIS requirements. This will involve an arrangement for the training of appropriate Thai personnel to carry out the inspection of vehicles before they are exported to Australia. This outcome demonstrates the benefits of greater cooperation in successfully addressing quarantine risk offshore and should facilitate the release of vehicles upon entry to Australia.
Giant African Snail (GAS) review
In August 2006, AQIS commenced a project to review AQIS GAS risk management strategies, including a review of current AQIS inspection policy and procedures, and investigation of both on and offshore alternatives, with a view to developing one national GAS country action list.
In order to achieve the above project components AQIS:
- conducted its own review of procedures and
- contracted the Bureau of Rural Sciences (BRS) to assess the risk of introduction to Australia of GAS via shipping containers, and to perform a quantitative economic analysis of the risks and costs of GAS inspections of shipping containers.
Outcomes of this extensive review include:
- A single unified GAS list was developed to replace the original two separate lists. It has been supported by the Northern Territory Government which had previously had its own, more extensive, GAS risk list.
- In contact containers are no longer required to be inspected.
- Re-inspections of GAS containers after cleaning may be carried out in the future as part of the External Container Scheme (ECS). At this stage offshore schemes were considered to be unsuccessful at sufficiently addressing risk and onshore inspections will continue for the time being.
- A detailed paper on the review is currently being considered by interested parties such as Shipping Australia Limited and, once agreed, will be more widely available.
The AQIS GAS review project found that the approach rate and identified risk on this pathway did not justify the requirement that all containers in contact with boxes from GAS countries must also undergo six sided GAS inspections. Consequently the GAS inspections of in contact containers ceased on 1 March 2009.
Import Clearance Effectiveness (ICE) report and the Integrated Cargo System (ICS) profile survey
The Import Clearance Effectiveness (ICE) program has examined over 27 600 containers and over 46 200 commodities for quarantine concerns and quarantine risk material (QRM), since its inception over the last three years. ICE inspections are performed on a random sample of containers not cleared on documents at AQIS front counter and assists in measuring the performance of quarantine systems.
Data for non-commodity inspections show that 7.6 percent of targeted containers have a packaging or contamination concern. This is consistent with previous reports. Data on commodity inspections indicate a consistently low occurrence of QRM among the sample population, with 1.1 percent of targeted inspections containing either quarantine concern or contaminated with QRM. The most common detection found in or on commodities were plant material and soil.
During February, Import Clearance commenced the Integrated Cargo System (ICS) profile survey. The objective of the survey is to analyse the current risk management framework and detect quarantine risk across consignments not currently profiled for routine quarantine interception.
The ICS profile survey is currently underway and will continue throughout March 2009 with a focus on air and sea cargo pathways. Three thousand samples from both pathways will be intercepted and assessed for presence of QRM. The samples will be taken from cargo reports in the ICS that are not currently profiled for AQIS action at the border.
The survey will assist AQIS to further focus on areas of potential quarantine leakage and allocate its resources more effectively. AQIS appreciates the cooperation and support of industry in managing this program.
If you would like to provide feedback or obtain further information on leakage activities, please contact the ICE team by email.
External Container Inspection Regime (ECIR) workshop
A workshop was held on 19 February 2009 to develop future strategies for the ECIR. The focus of the workshop was to review the current risk management approach and develop strategies to move towards the Quarantine and Biosecurity Review (the Beale Review) recommendations related to risk return. Proactive discussion and decision making provided several outcomes with a focus of moving towards better targeting of high risk cargo with a compatible level of resourcing, while continuing to maintain an appropriate level of protection for Australia. This culminated with the implementation of an ECIR working group to commence work on the outcomes and determinations of the workshop. The working group is primed to commence progress on the outcomes shortly.
Recent post quarantine detections (PQD)
The Canberra and regional post quarantine detection teams have been kept busy in the past few months with a number of interesting and potentially damaging finds. These have included:
- Exotic western dry wood termites were found in a lounge imported as personal effects approximately 12 years ago. The lounge has been fumigated.
- Lesser auger beetles have been found in imported guitars. The insect activity was firstly reported to AQIS by a person who had purchased one of these guitars. Subsequent inspections of all unsold guitars using an acoustic detector identified additional guitars that potentially contain this exotic borer. The guitars were fumigated with methyl bromide after painting- meaning the fumigation was not effective. The importer has been given the option of mandatory treatment, re-export or destruction of the guitars.
- Exotic borers have been identified in imported bamboo flooring in two states. Each state is following up and treatment options are being investigated.
- Imported chairs were found to contain quarantine risk material (pebbles covered in clay, soil and other risk material) used as a counter weight. This incident led to a national recall of the chairs.
- Mature dehydrated peas imported for human consumption were recalled nationally. The peas were imported without an import permit and on testing the peas turned out to be viable.
With Easter fast approaching there is the need for increased vigilance on items imported as Easter gifts. These have been found in the past to contain fresh egg shell, plant material and other quarantine risks material.
Thanks to the good work of industry, state and territory governments, the public, and AQIS inspectors the threat posed by these pests and risks have been minimised.
If you see what you think could be a quarantine risk it can be reported to your nearest AQIS office, through the AQIS Redline 1800 803 006 or by reporting a quarantine concern on the AQIS website.
Topics covered in recent eBulletins
Recent Cargo Management eBulletins have included the following topics: Industry and AQIS act quickly post quarantine detection (PQD) in Tasmania, Review of the Broker Accreditation Scheme (BAS), AICCC Meeting #51 held in Sydney 10 December 2008, Import Clearance fee review 2009/2010, Beale Review, Australia Day Achievement Award for Import Clearance staff, Live hairy larvae alerts AQIS, Electronic lodgement of import documents, implementation of AFAS in the Philippines, ICE report, bark on timber packaging, dunnage, timber and wooden commodities, and the onshore fumigation scheme.
Questions, comments and suggestions
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions about the Cargo Management eBulletin please do not hesitate to email us or the AICCC secretariat.
Summary of documents and alerts released by AQIS Cargo Management in February 2009
|
Document |
Overview |
|---|---|
| Notice to Industry 2-2009 | Review of Broker Accreditation Schemes (BAS) |
| Notice to Industry 3-2009 | Performing machinery/equipment inspections at heights greater than 2 metres |
| Notice to Industry 4-2009 | Residual contamination of testing of sea containers February 2009 |
| Notice to Industry 5-2009 | Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak in Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) |
| Public Quarantine Alert 0603 | EM topics for dairy products, egg products, pet food, pet food for fish, rice and cereal commodities |
| Public Quarantine Alert 0705 | Entry Management topics- transfer of responsibility for implemented EM topics to program areas |
| Public Quarantine Alert 0592 | Review of Broker Accreditation Schemes (BAS) |
| Public Quarantine Alert 0594 | Revision of Giant African Snail (GAS) risk management strategies |
| Public Quarantine Alert 0604 | EM topics available for Zea may seeds for sowing and rice and cereal commodities |
| Public Quarantine Alert 0606 | Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak in Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) |
| Public Quarantine Alert 0708 | Import permits affected by the Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak in Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) |
| Public Quarantine Alert 0528 | AQIS Import Clearance Industry Notices 2009 published on the AQIS website |
| Public Quarantine Alert 0595 | Notice to Industry 5/2009-Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak in Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) |