30 November 2023
Who does this notice affect?
All vessel owners, operators, masters and shipping agents who represent international commercial vessels, including cruise vessels preparing for arrivals into Australian territory
What has changed?
The MARS Pre-Arrival Report (PAR) and offline form for commercial vessels has been revised. The following changes will come into effect from 1 December 2023:
- A new question about plants onboard, which will apply to all commercial vessels.
- A name change for “coastal strip” to “release from biosecurity control”.
- A new name for “crew change” to “disembarking crew”.
- A new set of biosecurity related questions for disembarking crew members.
What do you need to do?
Vessel masters and shipping agents will continue to report in MARS following the usual process for international vessels. The revised questions are located in the PAR Biosecurity tab in MARS.
MARS access: https://online.agriculture.gov.au/selfservice/
As an alternative to direct MARS access, the PAR offline form can be used by vessel masters or officers where there is limited or unreliable internet connectivity to meet pre-arrival reporting obligations.
The MARS PAR offline form has been updated on the MARS offline forms webpage, for use from Friday 1 December 2023. Vessel masters and shipping agents should use the updated PAR offline form to avoid errors and delays when submitting the PAR information into MARS.
The updated offline form is available on the department’s website: MARS offline forms
1. Plant declaration question
To align to the department’s biosecurity legislative requirements for declaring plants on board, we are expanding the scope of the plant declaration to all vessel types arriving Australian waters.
Commercial vessels
Vessel masters and agents are required to submit a PAR and provide details of any live or dead plants on board the vessel, including plant type location, health and condition. They are also required to report any plants, dead or alive, that were disposed during the voyage.
Cruise vessels
When a cruise vessel declares plants on board on the PAR, the Live plants conveyance log will be sent to the vessel operator email address supplied in the PAR through an automated process in MARS.
The plant log is to be completed by the person in charge (master) of the vessel prior to arrival in Australia. This form must be emailed to the National Maritime Centre once the PAR has been submitted into MARS.
The original document must be retained onboard with the vessel’s log for inspection by a biosecurity officer.
2. Name change from “coastal strip” to “release from biosecurity control”
The term “Release from biosecurity control” will replace “Coastal strip” throughout MARS, PAR, offline forms and across the inspection process and department website. This terminology aligns with the Biosecurity Act 2015 and its subordinate legislation.
A release from biosecurity control is granted after a vessel inspection has been completed and all biosecurity risks have been managed in an approved manner. This change in terms does not involve any changes to existing processes.
3. Name change from “crew change” to “disembarking crew” and declaration
All vessel masters or agents are required by law to report any known crew that will disembark a vessel at the First Point of Entry (FPOE) or subsequent ports while in Australian territory and on an Australian voyage.
From 1 December, all references to “crew change” will change to “disembarking crew”. In addition to the name change, biosecurity questions will include more detailed declarations for disembarking crew. The vessel operator or agent, along with crew members, must declare Yes/No to the following biosecurity questions and complete the details of any goods that have been declared prior to disembarking .
Do disembarking crew have any of the following goods or activity to declare?
- Meat, poultry, fish, seafood, eggs, dairy, fruit, vegetables? (Y/N)
- Grains, seeds, bulbs, straw, nuts, plants, parts of plants, traditional medicines or herbs, wooden articles? (Y/N)
- Animals, parts of animals, animal products including equipment, pet food, eggs, biologicals, specimens, birds, fish, insects, shells, bee products? (Y/N)
- Soil, items with soil attached or used in freshwater areas e.g. sports/recreational equipment, Shoes? (Y/N)
- Been in contact with farms, farm animals, wilderness areas or freshwater streams/lakes etc in the past 30 days? (Y/N).
Further information
Reminder to vessel master and shipping agents
- to read and understand the Biosecurity Status Document (BSD) directions and conditions and keep a copy of the current document on board the vessel for the duration of the voyage in Australia.
- that any changes in circumstances during the voyage in Australian waters, particularly changes to the human health of travellers, must be submitted via MARS or reported to the National Maritime Centre (NMC) as soon as practicable.
- that a failure to report accurately or comply with a requirement under the Biosecurity Act 2015 may result in penalties, including infringement notices, civil penalties, or criminal prosecutions.
Contact the department’s National Maritime Centre (NMC) by email or phone: 1300 004 605 (in Australia) or +61 8 8201 6185 (outside Australia).
View the Vessels webpages for information on Australia’s biosecurity reporting obligations and responsibilities.