16 October 2025
Who does this notice affect?
Biosecurity Industry Participants (BIPs) who submit Transhipment of Ship or Aircraft Stores (Ship or Aircraft Stores) lodgements.
What has changed?
Case name change
The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has updated the name of the ‘Ship or aircraft stores for transhipment’ Biosecurity Import Conditions System (BICON) case to ‘Stores for transhipment’.
Onshore outcomes
The department has made changes to the onshore outcomes for the ‘Stores for transhipment’ BICON case (previously ‘Ship or aircraft stores for transhipment’). The intervention for category 2 and category 3 goods has been streamlined:
- Air Freight – Loose
- Updated: Inspect unpack direction removed.
- Air Freight – Unit Load Device (ULD) - (eligible for deconsolidation)
- Updated: Inspect unpack direction removed.
- Air Freight – ULD (not eligible for deconsolidation)
- Updated: Movement from Approved Arrangement (AA) site to wharf/pier direction removed.
- Full Container Load (FCL) – Eligible for deconsolidation
- Updated: Inspect unpack direction removed.
- FCL – Not eligible for deconsolidation
- Updated: Movement from AA site to wharf/pier direction removed.
- Less than Container Load (LCL)
- Updated: Inspect unpack direction removed for Category 2. Inspect secure seals intact removed for Category 3.
Supervision and seal integrity remain important for Category 3 and non-deconsolidation cases.
Cargo Online Lodgement System (COLS) Update
The BICON changes have been made to align with the transition of document lodgement for ship and aircraft stores to COLS, which took effect from 7 October 2025.
Previously, these documents were submitted to importassessment@aff.gov.au. This option is no longer available.
Please refer to Import industry advice notice 334-2025: Ship or Aircraft Stores and Carnet now lodged in Cargo Online Lodgement System (COLS).
Further information
For further information please contact the Sea Cargo policy team at Seacargopolicy@aff.gov.au.