The Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) has officially announced the commencement of the 2024-25 Brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) Risk Season in their notice 190-2024 today. The start date is 01 September 2024. They have also issued reminders of changes to the program and invited input on the Hitchhiker Pest Program under their “Have Your Say” consultation.
BMSB Season: What has changed?
– Applicants for the 2024 – 2025 BMSB season no longer need to include Australian Border Force (ABF) import data reports to support their application. Safeguarding Arrangements applications for the 2024-25 season opening soon. (See below).
– The addition of China and Republic of Korea to the heightened vessel surveillance list.
– Offshore treatment providers from BMSB target risk countries that intend to conduct
treatments during the BMSB season must register under AusTreat.
– Removal of the Vessel Seasonal Pest Scheme (VSPS).
Safeguarding
The Safeguarding Arrangements Scheme is available for the new BMSB Season. The scheme offers an alternative clearance pathway for target high risk goods imported as sea cargo in six hard sided shipping containers during the BMSB risk season.
AusTreat
As we reported back in May, DAFF has launched AusTreat, the new pre-border biosecurity treatment provider assurance scheme. AusTreat is a government-to-industry assurance scheme that has replaced the Offshore BMSB Treatment Provider scheme and set the conditions for the regulation of pre-border biosecurity treatment providers.
Registration under AusTreat:
Treatment providers that wish to be approved under AusTreat or were registered under the BMSB scheme during the previous BMSB risk season must complete the registration and treatment application form here to commence their registration process for the upcoming BMSB risk season.
All pre-border biosecurity treatment providers registered under AusTreat will be listed on the List of treatment providers.
This week DAFF also issued notice187-2024: “Industry survey on approved arrangements for container inspection and cleaning.”
Their “Have Your Say” consultation on Hitchhiker Pests will be open from 27 August 2024 to 5pm on Tuesday 08 October.
Under the Hitchhiker Pest Program, DAFF is developing a new policy for managing biosecurity risks associated with containers. The proposed policy involves new types of approved arrangements, particularly in wharf and port areas.
The survey provides the opportunity to:
– indicate whether these approved arrangements would be of interest to you;
– identify any concerns you may have;
– provide any comments or suggestions on what is proposed.
The Hitchhiker Pest Program was established to address the increasing risk of hitchhiker pests and contamination that can be carried via shipping containers. One of the key elements of this program is working with industry to establish new approved arrangements to inspect more shipping containers arriving into Australia.
With regard to the new BMSB season, it should be noted that DAFF has suspended a number of service providers following identification of critical non-compliance.
Last week they issued notice 183-2024: “Australian Fumigation Accreditation Scheme: treatment providers suspended.”
The following companies have suspended from the Australian Fumigation Accreditation Scheme (AFAS) to ensure biosecurity risk is managed.
- Fumigation and Trading (FUMITRADE) Corporation (AEI: PH0021MB)
- Phytoguard Fumigation Corp (AEI: PH0022MB)
- Pacific Fumigation Company Co. Inc (AEI: PH0023MB)
- Mandaue Modern Pest Control Inc. (PH0026MB)
- Colonie Pest Control (AEI: PH0027MB)
- IPM Pestmasters Services, Phils. (AEI: PH0031MB)
All treatment certification issued by the treatment providers will be considered unacceptable from the suspension date, regardless of the treatment/issue date on the treatment certificate. This includes certification issued both before and after the change in their status.
Consignments or goods are classified as ‘in transit’ when they have left the country of origin but have not yet been cleared through the border in Australia.
Colless Young is here to assist you in improving the flow-time of import document processing and minimising your costs. As licensed Customs Brokers and International Freight Forwarders, we take care of your cargo economically and professionally. Based in Brisbane, Colless Young provides a complete range of logistics services, including clearance through customs and biosecurity (quarantine), by sea and air, at all major Australian ports and airports.
