Company and peak body combine to advise industry on solutions
A skirmish in Australia’s battle to ward off the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) threat to horticulture and the collateral risk to import transport and logistics will take place in Perth this month.
With the BMSB season starting on September 1, ACFS Port Logistics and peak industry body Freight & Trade Alliance (FTA) are hosting activities on July 25 and 26.
The federal Department of Agriculture has already flagged its acute focus on the scourge, pledging to implement strengthened seasonal measures to prevent a “serious biosecurity threat”.
It says the rapid expansion of BMSB throughout Europe and North America “created real challenges” for the agricultural industry and the department, and “we are working together to better protect our agricultural industries from this hitchhiking pest”.
‘Preventing an incursion in the first place is a high priority for the Australian Government and industry—a BMSB incursion would be extremely difficult and expensive to manage,” departmental head of biosecurity compliance Peta Lane says.
BSMB control measures have a flow-on effect for transport, read here
The 2018-19 BMSB season stretched Australia’s border biosecurity system close to breaking point and had severe impacts on sections of the shipping and importing industries.
Truck imports were also significantly affected.
In response and as a part of a national education campaign, FTA will host technical sessions and showcase commercial solutions to best meet biosecurity compliance.
FTA head of border and biosecurity Andrew Crawford is to hold an accredited Continuing Professional Development (CPD) session at the Swan Yacht Club on Thursday, July 25, 4.30-5.30pm, followed by ACFS sponsored refreshments.
The detailed session will focus on operational requirements to mitigate the risk of BMSB incursion through treatment options, increased utilisation of the 19.2. Automatic Entry Processing for Commodities (AEPCOMM) Approved Arrangements and new “safeguarding arrangement”options.
The training will also help industry navigate their way through revised policy pertaining to less-than-container load/freight of all kinds (LCL/FAK) consignments.
The training will address what industry should be doing now in the lead up to the new season
“It is essential that importers, customs brokers, freight forwarders and master consolidators have a thorough understanding of policy changes, examine compliance options and establish commercial arrangements with key suppliers onshore and abroad – early planning is essential to avoid ongoing lengthy clearance delays and high detention costs,” FTA head of business operations John Park says.
The CPD session will be followed the next day with an open forum hosted onsite at ACFS’s new site at Lot 90 Port Beach Road, North Fremantle on Friday, July 26, 10am-2pm.
Senior industry representatives are invited to hear from FTA’s Andrew Crawford who will summarise key BMSB compliance focus areas. This will be followed by ACFS showcasing their suite of treatment services and an informal networking function.
ACFS Port Logistics business development general manager Natalie Wallace says the forum will demonstrate current capabilities and longer term initiatives.
“We look forward to partnering with FTA and ongoing engagement with the Western Australian trade sector to meet immediate operational needs and to be in a position to best support the industry in the years ahead,” Wallace adds.