7 November 2024
Who does this notice affect?
All clients who submit documentation to the department for import assessment via the Cargo Online Lodgement System (COLS) or other departmental approved systems.
All approved arrangements operators, customs brokers, importers, premises with recurring appointments and freight forwarders who book and manage requests for biosecurity and imported food inspections through email or the Biosecurity Portal.
What has changed?
High volumes of entry lodgements continue to be received, and the department expects this trend to continue with the commencement of the 2024-25 Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) season. Import entry lodgements and inspection activity workload remains at elevated levels and is expected to increase in the lead up to the traditional Christmas peak.
The department anticipates that its ability to meet the client service standards timeframes for the inspection of non-urgent commodities will come under further pressure in the short to medium term.
The department acknowledges that NSW clients are currently experiencing extended timeframes for the inspection of some commodities. All efforts are being made to manage increased workloads in order to meet published service standards in the Client Service Charter while also effectively managing biosecurity and imported food risks.
What are we doing to manage workload demand?
The department has implemented a range of strategies to assist with the management of workload. These include:
- The recruitment, onboarding, and training of new biosecurity officers to assist in the management of workloads.
- The training of additional Imported Food Assessment officers continues to help address the increase in Imported Food Lodgement Reference Numbers (LRN).
- Continuation of industry requested overtime to process lodgements and conduct inspections outside core business hours, subject to resource availability.
- Engaging available staff from other states to conduct biosecurity and imported food inspections, where there is capacity.
- The department has been reviewing the risk associated with various commodities coming into Australia. This has and continues to result in a lower referral rate and less intervention for a number of commodities while maintaining a strong and effective biosecurity system.
- Targeted use of contractors to carry out inspections where appropriate.
How can industry assist?
The department would like to advise clients of information that may assist in avoiding unnecessary delays in the clearance of goods. Industry can assist to ensure timely turnaround by:
For document assessment:
- Maximising usage of approved arrangement class 19: Entries being processed through approved arrangement class 19 continues to increase, enabling industry to self-manage documentary requirements for certain commodities. Year to date, the usage of approved arrangement class 19 has reached its highest ever levels to 50.3% during January to August 2024. Using approved arrangement class 19 for all eligible entries with compliant documentation will assist in all entries moving more quickly across the border.
- Ensuring that documents are lodged well in advance of arrival of the goods.
- Ensure that documents and other information is lodged completely and accurately and in line with the departments minimum documentary requirements and import conditions. The demand on assessment functions continues to be compounded by higher levels of lodgements with either insufficient documentation and or document errors. These lodgement issues have a significantly impact on overall document assessment delays.
- Ensure any specific additional information is included in the ‘additional information’ field in COLS.
- Regardless of the expected assessment outcome, nominate a valid Approved Arrangement (AA) inspection location, preferably with the AA registration number and name, to avoid additional processing delays.
- Please do not repeatedly call or email the department checking on the status of a lodgement for document assessment as this compounds the delays as it removes resources from document assessment to responding to queries.
- We encourage Self Assessed Clearance (SAC) clients to investigate the possibility of participating in the SAC paperless process. This feature automatically retrieves documents upon referral from the ICS. Please see Self assessed clearance cargo: how we work with industry for further information.
For inspection bookings:
- Requesters are encouraged to select ‘Next available’ in the preferred inspection period when requesting an inspection, for goods to be inspected during the Available for Service hours listed in your business profile. This will improve inspection availability for the requester and provide efficiencies for both industry and the department in the booking of inspections. Please see the Biosecurity Portal Support guides and frequently asked questions for more information.
- Requesters are encouraged to lodge inspection requests through the Biosecurity Portal. The Biosecurity Portal (via myGOVID) allows clients to lodge and manage requests for an import inspection at any time via a web browser. The Portal enables easy management of inspections with the capability to make changes and see updates instantly. Through the Portal, clients have access to Agriculture Import Management System (AIMS) directions information and inspection bookings. More information can be found at Biosecurity Portal.
- Biosecurity industry participants are encouraged to utilise programs that enable industry to self-manage their biosecurity inspections, such as the Class 14.4 rural tailgate inspection. The AA class 14.4 allows eligible industry participants to perform rural tailgate inspections on certain imported containers that are destined for unpack in a rural area. This means that eligible inspections can be performed without the need for a booking via the biosecurity portal.
- Information on how to apply: Conditions for operating approved arrangements
- Previous IIAN: 166-2023: Class 14.4 Approved Arrangement - Industry support material
Imported Food options for importers and their customs brokers:
- Biosecurity officers are providing handouts and postcards while out at inspections as to the available options for importers and their customs brokers, with regards to imported food, such as the utilisation of Food Import Compliance Agreements (FICA’s) and virtual label inspections.
- Food Importers can enter into a Food Import Compliance Agreement (FICA) with us. Many food importers have documented food safety management systems for sourcing and importing safe food. Under a FICA, we recognise these systems as an alternative to the inspection and testing of food imports under the Imported Food Inspection Scheme (IFIS). We encourage industry to take up this initiative, as those on a FICA do not have to book or pay for an imported food inspection. Instead, the department monitors compliance with requirements by regularly auditing your system. You can choose to have all the food you import under a FICA or just certain types of food.
- For more information, please refer to Entering into a FICA
- For those not on a FICA, we can virtually inspect eligible imported foods that have been referred for label and visual inspection. A virtual inspection is conducted in real time use Microsoft Teams.
- Once a virtual inspection request is received, inspections are general undertaken within three working days.
- It’s an easy approval process, and only requires access to the right technology (smartphones/tablets) to complete the inspections using Microsoft Teams video calls.
For more information:- Read our Imported food label and visual virtual inspections fact sheet to learn more about our requirements.
- Email importedfood-postinspection@aff.gov.au to register to take part in virtual inspections or to ask any further questions.
- Previous links to Imported Food Notices, which may be useful:
Further information
Contact the department on 1800 900 090