Advice on foot-and-mouth disease requirements within the maritime, cruise, air and mail pathways

Biosecurity Response Zones are currently operating at all major airports that receive direct flights from Indonesia. These zones are in place to enable enhanced biosecurity control measures and will remain in place while there is a heightened risk of FMD.

The table below outlines the requirements for airlines.

Extra vigilance during the cleaning process on and around aircrafts, tarmac areas and arrival halls is requested at this time.

Cleaning staff are reminded to treat all biosecurity waste appropriately and use the biosecurity approved waste bins located at airports.

Some examples of biosecurity risks at airports in the current FMD emergency response environment might be:

• grass tufts from shoes
• soil or dirt on a tarmac area or in the aerobridge, concourse or terminal after passengers depart an aircraft
• goods people are wearing or carrying. This is because FMD can survive:
  • in frozen, chilled, and freeze-dried foods such as meat and dairy products
  • on clothing and footwear
  • in soil, bones, untreated hides, and vehicles and equipment used with susceptible animals.

Report biosecurity risks immediately so we can manage them to an acceptable level. Please contact a biosecurity officer at the terminal, in person, or via the below contact phone numbers:

Requirements under the Biosecurity Response Zones FMD measure

• Play the FMD message in the International Arrivals Terminal. We will provide you with an audio recording and words to record the message if preferred.
• Engage with us on WHS matters in relation to sanitisation mats.
• Display electronic signage as requested.
• Engage with us on positioning FMD pullup banners and other biosecurity signage.

For more information on what has changed at airports, please refer to Changes to passenger and crew on-arrival processes at international airports.

We are working with airlines to:

• Reduce queuing at pre-immigration by requesting airlines encourage travellers to complete the Incoming Passenger Card during the flight and prior to arrival in Australia.
• Provide the FMD flyer to all travellers at check-in in Australia who are travelling to Indonesia and at check-in in Indonesia when travelling to Australia.

FMD on-arrival announcement

A biosecurity officer will board every direct flight from Indonesia and play or read the Australian Government FMD on-arrival announcement. This explains to travellers and crew:

• about foot-and-mouth disease
• reminder to declare biosecurity risk goods, including dirty shoes and equipment
• the on-arrival process of walking on a sanitisation mat.

Sanitisation mats

Sanitisation mats are in place on the arrivals concourse close to the gate for all flights arriving from Indonesia. The mat contains a solution of 3% citric acid.

• It is a requirement for all crew and travellers arriving on all direct flights from Indonesia to walk through the sanitisation mat including with their wheel-based carry-on luggage.
• This is safe for travellers wearing thongs, flip-flops and sandals.
• A biosecurity officer will manage the sanitisation mat area to ensure a steady flow of travellers when disembarking.
• When not in use for Indonesian arrivals, the sanitisation foot mat area will be cordoned off but remain in place.

Increased targeting

Passengers and crew arriving from locations other than Indonesia will be asked if they have been in Indonesia in the last 7 days, either via the SmartGate or by a Biosecurity officer or Australian Border Force officer. These travellers may present a higher FMD risk and will be referred for biosecurity screening.

Biosecurity Response Zones

Determination to establish Biosecurity Response Zones at international airports was made on 22 July 2022 by the Director of Biosecurity.

• It was made under section 365 of the Biosecurity Act 2015.
• It will be in place until 21 October 2022.

Biosecurity Response Zones include the tarmac and the international arrivals hall, from the aerobridge to the exit point into the public area at Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney international airports.

Biosecurity officers will operate in the Biosecurity Response Zones with increased intervention for travellers and crew arriving on direct flights from Indonesia.

Increased targeting

We are identifying passengers and crew who have been in Indonesia in the last 7 days who arrive from locations other than Indonesia to assess any biosecurity risks associated with their travel history.

• This is done through questioning at the SmartGate kiosk, or by biosecurity or Australian Border Force (ABF) officers at, or just prior to, the Immigration point.
• This broadens our FMD response measures to include biosecurity assessment of as many passengers and crew as possible who have been in Indonesia.
• Biosecurity officers questioning passengers and crew pre-immigration is a brief interaction and we do not anticipate lengthy queues.
• Biosecurity and ABF officers are using foreign language guides to assist passengers and crew where English is not their first language (22 languages are available).

Airport visits

During August 2022, we organised a limited number of tours of the FMD measures at international airports with key stakeholders from state and territory government, agricultural agencies and livestock industry organisations.

• Local biosecurity Directors facilitated these activities.
• Activities were by observation only from the foot mats located at the arrivals gate through to biosecurity screening and inspection of traveller baggage.

During August and September 2022, we’ll be undertaking an assurance process of our FMD measures.

• Local biosecurity Directors will be facilitating representatives from the department to undertake these activities.
• This will be done via observation and engagement with some Biosecurity officers and will not interrupt the on-arrival processes of passengers or crew.

Promoting our FMD messaging

We are working with the Indonesian airport operators, and airlines based both in Indonesia and Australia to promote the FMD message. This is done via:

• Electronic signage and pull up banners at Jakarta and Bali international airports
• FMD flyers provided to travellers at check-in when leaving Australia for Indonesia and also in Jakarta and Bali when departing for Australia.

Airport operators now have in place an FMD message in the international arrivals terminals.

What action is required from the Australian Defence Force and international military personnel?

We are seeking support from the Australian Defence Force and any international military forces to ensure personnel returning or visiting Australia from Indonesia understand the following:

• It is a requirement for all defence personnel arriving on aircraft or vessels from Indonesia to walk through the sanitisation foot baths or foot mats.
• The foot baths or foot mats may contain a solution of 3% citric acid, 4% soda ash or a 1% solution of Virkon – disinfectants are safe to use for this purpose.
• For aircraft a biosecurity officer will manage the process to ensure a steady flow of travellers during disembarkation.
• Vessels are asked to have a foot bath at the bottom of all active gangways whilst in Australian ports. (If vessels are unable to have a foot bath at the bottom of a gangway due to WHS reasons the master or agent is to contact the local Biosecurity Office).
• On arrival into Australia, all footwear, clothing, equipment, and baggage, should be visibly free of organic material. If organic material is present, it should be thoroughly cleaned with water prior to departure using a brush or hose.
• Any Biosecurity risk material (BRM) such as food, soil, animal or plant products removed from ADF flights placed into a Biosecurity bin upon return to Australia.

We would like to remind all Biosecurity Industry Participants of their responsibilities related to the management, transport and disposal of waste and contaminating material (e.g., soil and residues).

We ask that you:

• Be alert to biosecurity risks during this period of increased FMD risk.
• Ensure you contain biosecurity waste properly. This will help prevent the spread of pests and diseases.
• Remember, FMD risks can be carried on containers, goods and packaging and can be present in risk material such as soil or straw.

Your approved arrangement conditions tell you how to identify, contain and secure biosecurity waste, and how to properly dispose of it.

Clean up spills. Secure bins.

Don’t let waste blow away and contaminate other goods and the environment.

If you notice a biosecurity risk such as biosecurity waste bins left open or leaking, or goods not properly secured, act immediately to contain and secure the risk as described in your approved arrangement conditions.

If you see a risk you can’t manage yourself, contain it and report it.

It is critical that you inform us of Reportable Biosecurity Incidents. We ask that you familiarise yourself with the types of incidents that you must report and how to report them.

Changes

• At Australia Post international mail gateway facilities we are undertaking 100% inspection of all international non-letter class mail from Indonesia.
• Where biosecurity risk goods are identified, these may be sent for FMD testing.
• We are including an FMD flyer in all mail items inspected from Indonesia.

Request for your support

We ask that you:

• Continue to identify and separate international mail arriving from Indonesia and present it directly to biosecurity officers for inspection.
• Where Australia Post staff notice mail from Indonesia mixed with other cohort groups this is separated and escalated to a biosecurity officer immediately.
• Provide a briefing to all Australia Post staff, including casuals, within international mail gateways.
• Display FMD signage in international gateway facilities (to be provided soon).

Remember that we have local department contacts available to assist.