14 November 2019
Who does this notice affect?
Stakeholders in the import and shipping industries—including treatment providers, Biosecurity Industry Participants, importers, customs brokers, principle agents and master consolidators—associated with importing goods that require increased intervention during the 2019-20 BMSB seasonal measures.
What has changed?
The department has identified that a German offshore treatment provider, Bertram GmbH (AEI DE4004SB), has conducted approximately seventy BMSB treatments prior to their 2019-20 registration approval under the Offshore BMSB Treatment Providers Scheme. The company was approved on 12 November 2019.
The department does not accept treatment certification for treatments conducted prior to the date treatment providers are approved. Approval dates are detailed on the Summary of recent changes to the list of offshore BMSB treatment providers webpage.
To address this non-compliance and to ensure that any potential biosecurity risk is adequately addressed, the affected consignments will require re-treatment on arrival in Australia or export where the consignment is not suitable for re-treatment onshore.
Six hard sided containers that are affected will be directed for onshore re-treatment or export, and stakeholders for these goods will be advised through AIMS directions. Goods that arrive as break bulk, or in open top or on flat rack containers will be denied discharge and directed for export on arrival.
As these certificates have not been reported in the BMSB risk season lodgements system, a complete list of the containers affected cannot be currently be provided. Stakeholders can check if their consignments are affected by comparing the date of treatment on the treatment certificate with the date that Bertram GmbH was approved on the department’s webpage. Treatments conducted after the date that the company was approved will be accepted.
If other treatment providers with the same issue are identified in the future, the same intervention will be applied.
Further information
For further information on these requirements, visit the Offshore BMSB Treatment Providers Scheme webpage or contact bmsbtreatments@aff.gov.au.