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Vehicles

Vehicles, particularly second-hand ones, used agricultural equipment, and earthmoving equipment, can represent a significant agricultural quarantine risk pathway because they are frequently contaminated with plant material, soil and a diverse range of organisms, such as insects, snails, plant diseases and weed seeds.

The equipment, particularly crop harvesters or processing equipment, is relatively complex machinery with a lot of places where plant materials accumulate and can be very difficult to clean and inspect.

STEPS PROCEDURE FOR THE INSPECTION OF VEHICLES
1 – 3  Refer to Basic Requirements
4 Sight cleaning certificate, if any.

Inspect the vehicle for:

  • soil;
  • seeds;
  • insects and other pests;
  • giant African snail/other snails;
  • snakes;
  • dunnage/cases;
  • straw and other plant material.
5 If it is a road vehicle or parts for such a vehicle, go to Step 6.

If it is agricultural, earthmoving, mining, logging, sawmill and/or military equipment, go to Step 7.

If it is food processing machinery, go to Step 8.
6 Road vehicles and spare parts – look carefully in the following areas:

  • underside
  • boot/trunk and glovebox
  • spare tyre and well
  • chassis
  • radiator
  • carpets (above and beneath)
  • tyres and wheels
  • engine compartment
  • mudguards/fenders

Then proceed to Step 9.
7 Agricultural, earthmoving, mining, logging, sawmill and military equipment.

Look carefully in the following areas:

  • tracks and track frames (removal of plates and covers is essential);
  • newly painted areas (for soil which has been painted over.)

Then proceed to Step 9.
8 Used food processing machinery, including: meat processors, feed mill equipment, abattoir equipment, dairy machinery.

Dismantle for proper inspection, then go to Step 9.
9 If contaminated or infested, instruct the importer to move the vehicle, machinery etc. to an approved place for cleaning.

Collect specimens for identification.
10 Arrange the removal of soil from vehicles, machinery, etc. with a high pressure water jet. All the liquid waste must drain directly into the sea, a town sewerage system or be collected in a sump and treated with chlorine. Solid waste is to be removed from the sump and treated with formalin, steam sterilisation or fumigation with methyl bromide.
11 For all other forms of contamination including seed spillage, direct the importer to remove the contamination and treat as necessary by fumigation or burning.
12 Re-inspect after cleaning.

If satisfactory, go to Step 14.

If not satisfactory, order re-treatment and re-inspect on completion. Then, when satisfactory, go to Step 13.
13 Supervise destruction of soil, seeds and other plant and animal debris. Go to Step 14.
14 On completion of inspection and treatment, advise the importer of fees due, collect the fees and release vehicle/machinery/parts.
15 Complete the documentation
16 Notify non-compliance.
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