Treated Used Vehicles Imported into New Zealand

Issued pursuant to section 22 of the Biosecurity Act 1993

October 2003

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Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Review of this Import Health Standard
3. Definitions
4. General Requirements
5. Post Treatment Security
6. Clearance on Arrival in New Zealand
7. Costs
8. Contacts

Appendix I
Appendix II
Appendix III

Endorsement

Pursuant to the Biosecurity Act 1993 and acting under the authority delegated to me by the Director General of Agriculture and Forestry, I hereby issue this Standard.

Neil H Hyde
Chief Technical Officer

Date:

1. Introduction

This document specifies the requirements to be met for the effective management of biosecurity risks associated with the importation of treated used vehicles into New Zealand.

This import health standard varies from the general Import Health Standard Used Vehicles Imported into New Zealand as it allows the inspections to be undertaken by MAF approved industry staff (as opposed to Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry staff) provided that the inspection is followed by a heat treatment effective against all life stages of arthropods.

2. Review of this Import Health Standard

The import health standard may be reviewed or amended if there are changes in New Zealand's import policy or the biosecurity status of originating country, or for any other reason at the discretion of the Director Border Management.

3. Definitions

Approved

Approved by the Director Border Management or delegate.

Batch

A group of vehicles subject to the same treatment in the same kiln at the same time.

Biosecurity Clearance

A clearance under section 26 of the Biosecurity Act 1993 for the entry of goods into New Zealand.

Consignment

All the vehicles treated by one supplier and shipped on the same vessel. A consignment may be made up of a number of batches.

Contamination

Live organisms (including invertebrates) or other organic material of plant or animal origin, soil and water and other any other items posing a biosecurity risk. Contamination does not include inorganic matter; road film or silt, except where these have built up and may prevent treatment from being fully effected. Examples of contaminants that would not, in themselves, prevent biosecurity clearance being given include the film of dust that may have settled on a vehicle during shipment, or desiccated arthropods found on a vehicle's radiator.

Director Border Management

Director Border Management, New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, or any person who for the time being may lawfully exercise and perform the power and functions of the Director Border Management.

Examiner

A person who is approved by the Director Border Management to inspect used vehicles under this standard. An examiner is not an inspector under the Biosecurity Act 1993.

Inspector

An inspector under the Biosecurity Act 1993.

MAF

The New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

Quarantine Certificate

A document indicating that the specific vehicle(s) have passed inspection and undergone the heat treatment. See Appendix III

Supplier

Operator of a treatment facility at one site.

Used Vehicle

1. Supplied to the consumer market and sold; or
2. used as a demonstration, test or courtesy vehicle by its manufacturer or importer; or
3. used for training or testing purposes; or
4. previously registered or licensed; or
5. regarded as a new vehicle but which, upon arrival, an inspector considers has been contaminated.

4. General Requirements

4.1 Procedures Required

Prior to importing vehicles under this standard documented procedures covering the proposed inspection and treatment arrangements must be submitted by the supplier to the Director Border Management, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry for review and, if satisfactory, approval.

These procedures must fully document the facilities, and equipment and processes used to ensure the inspection and associated treatment render the used vehicle free of contamination when it is presented for biosecurity clearance

4.2 Personnel Requirements

All personnel employed or contracted by a supplier and engaged in the provision of inspection and treatment services under this standard must be able to provide objective evidence of their competency to the Director, Border Management.

• Personnel undertaking training must be supervised by persons who are approved examiners.
• The supplier must document the system used for proficiency assessment of staff and maintenance of training records.
• Approval of an examiner by the Director, Border Management requires that applicant is capable of consistently achieving an inspection efficacy level of 97%.

4.3 Inspection Requirements

All vehicles are to be inspected for contamination by an approved examiner

• Inspection must include all under surfaces and will require a pit or ramp at the place of inspection.
• Every compartment of the vehicle that can be opened without the use of tools is to be inspected.
• Spare wheels are to be removed and the spare wheel well and spare wheel inspected.
• Accident-damaged cars are not exempted from the above requirements and may require dismantling with tools for inspection.
• After having been inspected and found to be free of, or made free of, any visible contamination (excluding arthropods outside of New Zealand), the vehicles are to be treated.

4.4 Treatment Required

All parts of the vehicle are to be heated to a minimum temperature of 54 degrees Celsius for not less than 10 consecutive minutes.

Each batch of vehicles treated will be allocated a unique consecutive number and this batch number is to be included on the quarantine certificate.

4.5 Certification Required

At the completion of treatment a quarantine certificate is to be issued for the vehicle/s that have passed the inspection process and undergone the required heat treatment process. A sample quarantine certificate giving minimum requirements can be found in Appendix III.

A MAF inspector will audit vehicles arriving in New Zealand as per a regime determined by the Director Border Management. The audit regime will depend on the contents of the procedures supplied in 4.1.

5. Post Treatment Security

• If inspection and heat treatment is undertaken overseas, it must be conducted not more than 10 days prior to shipment.
• Vehicles not shipped within the 10-day period will require another external inspection for contaminants and, if necessary, decontamination prior to shipment.
• Vehicles not shipped within 20 days of the last treatment will require a full inspection and re-treatment.
• Treated vehicles must be separated from untreated or uninspected vehicles by a distance of not less than three metres at all times, including during shipment to New Zealand.
• If the inspection and treatment is undertaken in New Zealand on arrival, it must occur within 12 hours of discharge from the vessel or container in which it arrived.

6. Clearance on Arrival in New Zealand

A MAF Inspector may issue a Biosecurity Clearance when satisfied of the following:

• That the used vehicles comply with the requirements specified in this import health standard; and
• That there are no discrepancies in the documentation accompanying the used vehicles that suggest that it may be unwise to rely on that documentation; and
• There has been no recent change in circumstances, or in the state of knowledge, that makes it unwise to issue a clearance for the vehicles; and
• That an audit has been carried out by an inspector on the consignment of vehicles in accordance with the required sampling regime and the tolerance for non-conformance has not been exceeded. Non-conformance means that the vehicle is ineligible for biosecurity clearance without further treatment.

7. Costs

7.1 All costs associated with overseas assessments, audits or approval will be recovered according to the provisions of a contract between MAF and the supplier

7.2 Where the activities referred to in 7.1 are carried out in New Zealand the costs will be recovered in accordance with the Biosecurity (Costs) Regulations 2003.

7.3 All costs associated with obtaining a biosecurity clearance on arrival, including the costs of the audit must be met by the importer or their agent in accordance with the Biosecurity (Costs) Regulations 2003.

8. Contacts

Enquires about this standard should be directed to:

The Director
Border Management
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
PO Box 106-231
Auckland
NEW ZEALAND

Fax 64 9 369 5904
Email: borderihs@maf.govt.nz

Appendix I Initial and Ongoing Approval of Inspection And Heat Treatment Facilities and Processes

Procedures Required

Prior to importing vehicles under this standard the supplier must submit documented procedures for the inspection and heat treatment of vehicles to the Director Border Management, MAF Biosecurity Authority, for review and, if satisfactory, approval in accordance with this standard.

The procedures must be auditable.

Assessment of Inspections

Inspection staff must be able to demonstrate they are capable of achieving an inspection efficacy level of 97%. This will be demonstrated once prior to approval of the system and after that the regular audits will be used to ensure that the requirement is met.

The MAF Biosecurity Authority will assess the efficacy of inspections.

Assessment of Treatment

The following tests for equipment and treatment will be undertaken once prior to approval of the system and after that not less than annually.

The MAF Biosecurity Authority will assess the tests.

Heat treatment units must be capable of raising the temperature of all parts of a vehicle to not less than 54^o Celsius, sustained for at least 10 consecutive minutes and this is the basis for the assessment. Failure to consistently meet the required treatment parameters will result in approval being withheld or withdrawn.

Standards for data acquisition and recording systems for certification tests and ongoing treatments.

Equipment used to record time and temperature must be calibrated by an independent laboratory experienced in calibration of such equipment according to an internationally recognised standard and in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

For certification at least 10 batches of vehicles must be subjected to the inspection and treatment regime in the presence of an officer of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

At least four sensors per vehicle must be used and positioned in areas likely to be cold spots (e.g. away from the flow of hot air into the kiln unit).

The data acquisition and recording systems must record the duration of the treatment, temperature values for each sensor, and the temperature settings at least once every minute.

The chart scale on approved data acquisition devices must be graduated with minor scale marks at every 0.5 of a degree in the range 50-60°C.

Each symbol on the printout or strip chart must correspond to and identify the sensor it represents. Each sensor print must be identified to the treatment batch.

The printout or strip chart must be of sufficient length to display a complete treatment record.

The treatment operator must enter the treatment batch number, date, start time and run-time into the data acquisition system or on the printed temperature record for each treatment carried out.

Appendix II Audit Inspection Schedule for Treated Vehicles

The audit regime to be followed will be developed on receipt of the approved procedures used by the Supplier. It will be dependent on who carries out the inspections and who carries out the treatments (and perhaps other factors). If both the inspection and treatment were carried out by an independent body, accredited to an internationally recognised standard then the audit regime would be less stringent than if owner or shipper of the vehicles carried out both the inspections and treatments.

Appendix III Quarantine Certificate for Vehicles Shipped under This Standard

Company Letterhead

Certification to Accompany Treated Used Vehicles exported to New Zealand

Vehicle Make

Vehicle Model

Colour

VIN

Today I inspected the vehicle described above and I certify that the vehicle (and any accompanying accessories) is externally and internally free of contamination including:

• Organic material of animal origin (including blood, bones, fibre, meat, secretions, excretions, etc);
• Plants or plant products (including fruit, seeds, leaves, twigs, bark, sawdust or other organic material); and
• Soil and water.

Name
Signature
Date

Treatment

I certify that the vehicle described above was treated by heating of all parts of the vehicle to a minimum of 54°C for a period not less than 10 consecutive minutes. The treatment was conducted under the system currently approved by the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. The treatment batch number for this vehicle is ………………….

Name
Signature
Date
Company Seal