2020-21 BMSB Season Newsletter AND 2020-21 BMSB Master Consolidator Newsletter

Freight & Trade Alliance (FTA) has received advice from the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (the department) on the release of the first edition of 2021-21 BMSB season Newsletter  AND 2021-22 BMSB Master Consolidator Newsletter

The following are extracts from the newsletters - please ensure your read the entire newsletters to obtain the full updates
 

2021-22 BMSB Season - Newsletter 1

Preparing for the 2021-22 BMSB risk season

• The department strongly recommends goods that are subject to BMSB requirements are treated offshore to reduce delays and storage costs as there may be limited onshore capacity for treatment and storage of BMSB risk cargo. A full list of offshore treatment providers can be found on our website. Treatment providers will be updated as they become approved.
• Where goods are unable to be treated offshore, importers are reminded to ensure that containers are packed to ensure suitability for effective onshore treatment.  The department provides guidance factsheets on consignment suitability and treatment methodologies to assist stakeholders to ensure goods are suitable for BMSB treatments.
• All break bulk cargo, including open top and flat rack containers and modified shippers own containers (e.g. built in generators that are not secure six hard sided containers) require mandatory treatment offshore. Goods will be denied discharge prior to arrival and / or exported on arrival for treatment offshore if they are not compliant with the measures. There is no option to treat these cargo types onshore.
• For break bulk goods (including those shipped as flat rack and open top containers) that require mandatory offshore treatment, if these goods are treated prior to 1 December, they are subject to requirements relating to 120 post treatment windows. These goods must be loaded onto the vessel within 120 hours of treatment completion. There are no provisions for onshore treatment or inspection of goods that have exceeded 120 post treatment windows. These goods will require re-treatment prior to arrival into Australia and will be directed for export if the 120 hour post treatment window has been exceeded.

2021-22 BMSB Master Consolidator Newsletter 1

Enquiries relating to LCL / FAK container and MC declarations
To ensure goods are cleared in a timely manner and without delays, it is important that MCs work with the relevant brokers and cargo reporters to ensure that all LCL consignments are reported at least 5 business days prior to arrival to assist the Master Consolidator to make the relevant declaration to the risk status of the FAK container.

Our officers work in a systematic manner, in the order emails are received. The department does its best to respond to enquiries in a timely manner, however there is no consideration given to perceived urgency of the enquiry. This process is repeated in processing MC Declarations which are also processed in the order which they are lodged. The system does not allow the assessing officer to specify a lodgement to work on. Manual declarations sent to the BMSB Processing mailbox will not be accepted.
 

MC Declarations and ICS holds

Containers held with a 'Seasonal Pest HOLD' are unable to be actioned without a Master Consolidator declaration being submitted.  
 
All goods arriving during season require a declaration to be lodged. If the goods have been shipped prior to the season commencement of 1 these should be declared as Nil Risk, with supporting documentation and manifests, etc that meet minimum documentary and import policy requirements policy.
 
If you have lodged a MC declaration for a container and have either received a finalised and released direction or an email outlining that the container has been made exempt, and that container is still reflecting a held status in ICS, please check the MC declaration and ensure that the VESSEL NAME, VESSEL ID, VOYAGE ID and container number reflect ICS reporting for this container.

If these details do not match, you will need to withdraw the declaration and lodge a new MC declaration with the correct information. Please email BMSB Processing with both entry numbers to enable a withdrawal of the incorrect AIMS entry. The same MC that lodged the declaration must be the one that withdraws, or it will not work. Holds cannot be manually lifted.

Seasonal Pest Referral
If you have containers reflecting a 'Seasonal Pest Referral' and your container is being held, it may not be a Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment hold. The "Seasonal Pest Referral" is demonstrative of the container information being pushed into the Seasonal Pest System. If the container is held, please refer to ICS as the holds may be related to ABF - https://www.abf.gov.au/help-and-support/ics/cargo-support-enquiry

** Important ** When holds are released after a lodgement, it may take up to an hour for the status to change in ICS. Please contact bmsbprocessing@awe.gov.au if the hold remains in ICS after an hour or more.

Email notification
If you have received an email stating "Container XXXX###### is not subject to seasonal pest intervention", this means there are no seasonal pest biosecurity holds, and your container may be picked up and deconsolidated. If the container is still held, please refer to ICS as the hold may be related to ABF.

Mixed Goods Consignments
Containers which are packed with a mix of target high risk, target risk and non-target goods, will be assessed for BMSB at the highest risk level.
 
Containers that are packed containing target high risk goods will require mandatory treatment for BMSB. Deconsolidation or removal of goods will not be permitted prior to the treatment in Australia.
 
Containers that arrive with untreated target high risk goods will be directed for treatment onshore, and where this treatment cannot be conducted at the container level, the whole container will be directed for export. Please be aware that if onshore treatment is required, this is to be done at the container level. The department will not allow split treatments.
 
Further information can be found on the Departments BMSB webpage – Preparing to import goods.
 
MC registrations
Now is a timely reminder to ensure that all MC registrations are submitted and up to date.

If you require to be registered as a new Master Consolidator, please submit a registration form to the department at spp@awe.gov.au

If you have previously registered as an MC, there is no need to reregister for the 2021-22 BMSB season. To ensure no processing delays, MC's are reminded to ensure their registration details are correct and up to date. Please email spp@awe.gov.au if any updates are required.

Further information