16 February 2024
Who does this notice affect?
Stakeholders associated with the biosecurity clearance of sea freight containers imported into Australia and destined for unpack in a rural location. This includes customs brokers, importers and Biosecurity Industry Participants (BIPs) that hold approval for approved arrangement class 14.4 rural tailgate inspection.
What has changed?
The department is expanding the scope of eligible sea containers permitted to be inspected by BIPs under Approved Arrangement Class 14.4 -Rural tailgate inspection. The expanded class 14.4 conditions authorise industry to inspect:
- Sea containers where the commodity has been assessed and released on documentation, or with discussion with the Department under certain permit conditions set by the department,
- Sea containers with commodities requiring mandatory treatment prior to a rural tailgate inspection being performed.
Interim lodgement process
The department is working to make changes to the relevant ICT systems that will allow accredited persons or brokers to self-direct these expanded types of sea containers via AEP NCCC (class 19.1) using one of the two existing class 14.4 concern codes. Until these changes are implemented in mid-2024, an interim process for lodging will be required to facilitate the change in scope.
To use class 14.4 BIP inspection:
- Accredited persons or brokers must continue to lodge as per the current process through AEP NCCC using the RURL concern code.
- On lodgement of documentation in COLS, accredited persons or brokers MUST add one of the following statements into the comment field in COLS to identify that they are requesting this be processed as a class 14.4 industry performed inspection:
Approved Arrangement – AA Rural Tailgate inspection direction requested.
or
Approved Arrangement – AA Rural Tailgate Ext. inspection direction requested.
Under this interim process, it is the accredited person or brokers responsibility to ensure they advise the department on initial lodgement of documentation in COLS that a class 14.4 inspection is requested. Failure to do so will result in the original direction of a departmental inspection being applied.
Class 14.4 Industry support material
The department has published a Class 14.4: Rural tailgate inspection informative text and Class 14.4: Rural tailgate inspection awareness video to provide detailed information to assist class 14.4 BIPs to comply with the conditions of their arrangement. The support materials include information on industry direction types, identification and management of biosecurity risks with the container, release of containers from biosecurity control and reporting of inspection outcomes to the department. These materials can be found on the department’s Arrival of goods in Australia webpage.
Class 14.4 authorises the BIP operating either a class 1.1 or class 1.3 (with approved class 4.3 wash bay facilities) sea and air freight depot, where directed, to perform a rural tailgate (RTG) inspection on certain containers that are destined for unpack in rural classified location.
Further information
- Class 14.4 approved arrangement conditions can be found at: agriculture.gov.au/biosecurity-trade/import/arrival/arrangements/requirements.
- General information on RTG inspections can be found at: agriculture.gov.au/biosecurity-trade/import/arrival
- If further information is required about class 14.4 contact: seacargopolicy@aff.gov.au