More than 2000 cars are delayed on Australian docks waiting to be cleaned by quarantine crews after the emergence of a new biosecurity threat.
EXCLUSIVE
New-car delivery times have blown out again with a fresh biosecurity hazard affecting the clearance of several major automotive brands through Australian docks.
Volkswagen, Nissan, Mazda and MG have confirmed a quarantine delay to Drive, although other brands are also suspected of being caught up in the new round of delays.
The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries – the peak Canberra-based lobby group that represents car companies – declined to go into more detail.
“It’s more than 1000 cars. I believe it’s a number of brands,” a spokesman for the FCAI, Peter Griffin, told Drive.
“It’s not a new issue. It ebbs and flows. Occasionally you get issues with bottlenecks.”
The Department of Agriculture said the latest biosecurity hazard – which follows a series of quarantine incidents linked to brown marmorated stink bugs dating back to 2019 and previously reported by Drive – was a new type of threat.
“We are currently seeing an increase in Biosecurity Risk Material (BRM) on new vehicles arriving in Australia,” a departmental spokesperson told Drive.
“This includes soil, plant debris, seeds and live insects which are not present in Australia.”
Unlike the earlier stink bug infestations, which even saw one ship turned away from Australia, the Department of Agriculture believes the new problem could be related to recent changes in shipping arrangements.
“The department understands that the increase in BRM (Biosecurity Risk Material) on new vehicles imported to Australia is likely due to a number of commercial factors, including changes to shipping patterns due to COVID.
“For example, some vehicles may be stored in paddocks or parking lots overseas where they are inadvertently collecting BRM while they are awaiting loading onto vessels for export to Australia,” the spokesperson said.
Drive learned of the latest biosecurity hazard from a Volkswagen buyer, who was advised of an extra delay in the delivery time for a T-Roc because of problems at the port.
“The total number of cars affected for Volkswagen is 1700. That is in Melbourne, which is a quarantine issue, and also Port Kembla which is a matter of congestion,” the spokesman for Volkswagen Group Australia, Paul Pottinger, told Drive.
Chinese car maker MG Australia is also affected, but believes it is through the worst of the problem.
“MG has been affected by some of these challenges which have resulted in further inspections and delays of deliveries to our dealer network and therefore our customers. MG continues to co-operate and comply with the requirements set by the Department of Agriculture,” a spokeperson for MG Australia told Drive.
“Most of the delays are now behind us and we are doing everything we can to get our customers behind the wheel of their new MG.”
Since the start of November, Nissan Australia has had two shipments affected by contamination from seeds with close to 1000 vehicles involved.
It was one of the brands affected by the stink bug epidemic which affected more than a dozen ships and told Drive it had developed a new plan to minimise any future delays.
“We have alerted our colleagues at the departing ports and extra measures have been implemented to try to prevent this in the future. All biohazards are a risk and we want to ensure we take the necessary precautions to protect Australia,” a Nissan spokesperson told Drive.
The Department of Agriculture said it is working to minimise delays but says pests – if not contained – could have a catastrophic effect on local agriculture.
“The department is working closely with the industry to help it manage the increased levels of BRM requiring treatment on imported vehicles without compromising Australia’s biosecurity,” the spokesperson said.
“Vehicles that are found to be contaminated with such biosecurity risk material require treatment to eliminate the risk before they are released. Industry is working with their treatment providers to ensure the risks are being managed in the most effective way so the vehicles can be released to waiting customers as quickly as possible while keeping Australia safe.”
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