Since 2021, Australia's ports have seen an 88 percent increase in new vehicles arriving with biosecurity risk material contamination.
Over the same period, there has been an 17% percent increase in the total number of new vehicle imports into Australia.
Biosecurity risk material must be removed from contaminated vehicles prior to being released. This cleaning is carried out by commercial companies.
Contamination includes soil, plant debris, seeds and live insects not present in Australia.
These are real and serious threats to Australian agriculture and our natural environment. National biosecurity standards at the border remain unchanged.
Current delays to the delivery of new vehicles are a direct result of the capacity of the commercial companies to manage the surge in contaminated vehicles arriving at the border.
There are no delays associated with Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry responsibilities in this process.
Biosecurity Officers undertake surveillance to check for biosecurity risk material on vehicles arriving Australia and confirm the effectiveness of the cleaning undertaken by commercial companies prior to the release of vehicles.
There are no resourcing shortages with Biosecurity Officers undertaking the surveillance processes, nor are there any delays associated with inspections by Biosecurity Officers.
The department is working with the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) and its members to encourage and assist them to implement offshore cleaning measures.
Some already have effective measures in place, which reduces biosecurity risk and import delays on arrival.
The department strongly encourages the FCAI to work with its members to establish offshore cleaning measures where they do not exist.
Vehicle manufacturers have advised that increased rates of biosecurity contamination are likely due to several commercial factors, including changes due to COVID.
Some vehicles may be stored in paddocks or parking lots overseas where they are inadvertently contaminated prior to export.
