Used Buses, Cars, Motor Cycles, Trucks, Utility Vehicles and Vans From Any Country

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Issued Pursuant to Section 22 of the Biosecurity Act 1993
Dated: 11 September 2001

1 New Zealand National Plant Protection Organisation

The New Zealand national plant protection organisation is the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and as such, all communication in regard to this standard should be addressed to:

Director, Forest Biosecurity
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
PO Box 2526
Wellington
NEW ZEALAND
Fax: 64 4 498-9888

2 General Conditions For All Risk Goods

All risk goods^[1] are PROHIBITED entry into New Zealand, unless an import health standard has been issued in accordance with Section 22 of the Biosecurity Act 1993. Should prohibited risk goods be intercepted by the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the importer will be directed to reship or destroy the goods.

The national plant protection organisation of the exporting country is requested to inform the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of any change in its address.

Under Article VIII of the International Plant Protection Convention (1997), the national plant protection organisation of the exporting country is required to inform the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of any newly recorded organisms that may infest/infect any commodity approved for export to New Zealand.

3 Organisms Associated With Risk Goods

The New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has categorised organisms associated with risk goods (more specifically plants and plant products) into regulated and non-regulated organisms as described below.

3.1 Regulated Pests

Regulated pests are those organisms for which phytosanitary actions would be undertaken if they were intercepted/detected. Regulated pests (FAO Glossary of Phytosanitary Terms, 1996) are those which on introduction into New Zealand could cause adverse economic impacts on the production of a commodity/commodities and/or the environment.

3.2 Non-regulated Organisms

Non-regulated organisms are those organisms for which phytosanitary actions would not be undertaken if they were intercepted/detected. These would include organisms that are already present in New Zealand and are not under official control.

3.3 Contaminants (including soil)

Consignments contaminated with soil, or other potential carriers of regulated pests (e.g. leaf litter) will not be permitted entry if the level of contamination is above the acceptable tolerance. Examples of contamination that would not, in themselves, prevent biosecurity clearance being given include bird droppings, or the film of dust that may have settled on a vehicle during storage and shipment.

4 Definitions

Biosecurity Clearance

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

Company

The importer, exporter, shipper or shipping company (or any other organisation) involved in the importation and shipment of used vehicles.

Consignment

A consignment comprises any number of used vehicles inspected under the one "inspection system" on the same date to be exported from the same port on the same vessel (and, as a result, can be covered by the same certificate).

Decontamination Facility

A transitional facility meeting the requirements of MAFRA 152.04.03F (92 Kb) Appendix III (Cars, Car Parts, Equipment and Containers (Decontamination)).

Inspector

A person who is appointed an inspector under section 103 of the Biosecurity Act 1993.

National Plant Protection Organisation

Official service established by a government to discharge the functions specified by the International Plant Protection Convention.

New Vehicle (bus, car, motor cycle, truck, utility vehicle, van)

Any motor vehicle which is:

1. not a used vehicle and does not contain used structures, systems, components or equipment; or
2. not a custom-built vehicle (which may contain some used structures, systems, components and equipment).

Official

Established, authorised or performed by a National Plant Protection Organisation.

Used Vehicle (bus, car, motor cycle, truck, utility vehicle, van)

Any motor vehicle which has been:

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.

5 General Conditions For Used Vehicles

Used vehicles imported into New Zealand have been found to be contaminated with regulated pests. Accordingly, the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry considers used vehicles to be risk goods under the Biosecurity Act 1993.

It is the responsibility of the importer to ensure that any used vehicle complies with the conditions of this import health standard.

A used vehicle that does not comply with the conditions of this import health standard will not be given biosecurity clearance, and shall be directed for treatment (decontamination) at a decontamination facility or reshipped to a port outside New Zealand's jurisdiction.

There are no conditions on the importation of a new vehicle into New Zealand unless, upon arrival, an inspector considers that the vehicle has been contaminated. In such circumstances, the vehicle will be regarded as a used vehicle.

6 Inspection Of Used Vehicles

All used vehicles (and any accompanying accessories) entering New Zealand must be inspected externally and internally, and the vehicles found to be free of the following:

1. animals, insects (including egg masses of gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) and any other species of Lymantriidae) or other invertebrates of any life stage, or organic material of animal origin (including blood, bones, fibre, meat, secretions, excretions, etc);
2. plants or plant products (including fruit, seeds, leaves, twigs, bark, sawdust or other organic material); and
3. soil or water.

Inspection of used vehicles for export to New Zealand may be undertaken prior to shipping from the final port of export, i.e., pre-shipment. Alternatively, the inspection of used vehicles may be undertaken on arrival in New Zealand.

6.1 Pre-shipment Inspection

By arrangement, the inspection of used vehicles may be undertaken in the exporting country (pre-shipment). Pre-shipment inspections may be carried out through arrangements put in place by the exporting country's national plant protection organisation or by New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry inspectors. If inspection is to be undertaken pre-shipment, external inspections must be conducted not more than 10 days prior to shipping from the port of export.

Inspection through arrangements put in place by the National Plant Protection Organisation

Pre-shipment inspection may be undertaken through arrangements put in place by the exporting country's national plant protection organisation. All consignments of used vehicles pre-shipment inspected through arrangements put in place by the exporting country's national plant protection organisation must be accompanied by a certificate (preferably worded as in the phytosanitary certificate model set out in the Annex to the revised text of the International Plant Protection Convention) issued by arrangement with the national plant protection organisation of the country of export.

Before an export certificate is issued, the issuer of the certificate must be satisfied that the activities (described in Section 6 above) required by the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry have been undertaken and shall confirm this by providing the following additional declaration to the certificate:

"The used vehicles in this consignment and identified on this certificate have been inspected in accordance with appropriate official procedures on [dd mm year] and found to be free of egg masses of gypsy moth and other species of lymantriid, and to conform with the current phytosanitary requirements of the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry."

Used vehicles pre-shipment inspected through arrangements put in place by the exporting country's national plant protection organisation shall be subject to an audit inspection on arrival at the port of discharge in New Zealand. An audit inspection shall involve an inspection, of 10% of the used vehicles making up a consignment, by New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry inspectors. All vehicles in a consignment shall be held at the port of discharge until the 10% audit inspection is completed. If the inspection reveals a degree of contamination which, in the opinion of the inspector, presents a biosecurity risk, then all other vehicles in the consignment shall be inspected.

Inspection by New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Inspectors

By prior arrangement (as outlined in Section III:E Requirements for Pre-shipment Inspection of Cargo), pre-shipment inspection may be undertaken by New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry inspectors in the exporting country. Documented procedures, covering the pre-shipment arrangements in place, must be submitted by the company to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry for approval. The procedures shall: (i) outline the facilities and equipment available to ensure the same standard of inspection is applied to pre-shipment inspected vehicles as those vehicles inspected on-arrival (and described in section 6.2 below); and (ii) describe the post-inspection security arrangements for vehicles which have "passed" inspection such that the requirements described in section 6 above, are met.

6.2 Inspection On Arrival in New Zealand

All used vehicles that have not been subject to pre-shipment inspection will be inspected (externally and internally) to the degree necessary for an inspector to satisfy him/herself that the used vehicles are free of contamination. Unless used vehicles are adequately secured to prevent the movement of any regulated pests from the used vehicles, all external inspections must be conducted (i) within 12 hours of any used vehicle consignment's discharge at the port of entry in New Zealand; or (ii) within 12 hours of any used vehicle being devanned from a container.

Inspections shall be carried out only where lighting is adequate for the purposes of the inspection. All light (GVM not exceeding 3500 kg) used vehicles subject to inspection on arrival in New Zealand shall be driven over a ramp or an inspection pit constructed in a manner that allows a comprehensive external inspection of the under surface. Alternative inspection arrangements so as to ensure a comprehensive external inspection of the under surface shall be applied to used vehicles with a GVM exceeding 3500 kg. Every compartment and surface that is normally accessible without recourse to tools is to be inspected. Hubcaps that can be removed without removing the wheel will be removed and inspected. If any compartments or structural areas cannot be readily opened by an inspector (because of accident damage or any other reason) the inspector will require these areas to be opened.

6.3 Shipment/Inspection of Used Vehicles

Pre-shipment inspected vehicles must be separated from non-pre-shipment inspected vehicles

at all times by a minimum distance of 3 metres, or equivalent. During shipment, pre-shipment inspected used vehicles and non-pre-shipment inspected used vehicles may be separated (i) by being loaded on separate decks or (ii) if on the same deck, by a minimum distance of 3 metres, or equivalent.

Documentation/Certification

Each used vehicle arriving in New Zealand must be accompanied by documentation stating its:

1. identification (i.e., chassis number)
2. make and model;
3. origin;
4. shipment details;
5. consignor; and
6. consignee and consignee's address.

In addition, used vehicles pre-shipment inspected through arrangements put in place by the exporting country's national plant protection organisation must be accompanied by a certificate (preferably worded as in the phytosanitary certificate model set out in the Annex to the revised text of the International Plant Protection Convention), issued by arrangement with the national plant protection organisation of the country of export, with the following additional declaration:

"The used vehicles in this consignment and identified on this certificate have been inspected in accordance with appropriate official procedures on [dd mm year] and found to be free of egg masses of gypsy moth and other species of lymantriid, and to conform with the current phytosanitary requirements of the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry."

8 Biosecurity Clearance/Directive

A used vehicle that does not comply with the conditions of this standard will not be given biosecurity clearance. Where the non-compliance is detected while the used vehicle is still aboard the vessel, the inspector shall direct that the used vehicle is to remain aboard the vessel and reshipped.

Should contamination be found during on-arrival or audit inspection on the wharf area, biosecurity clearance will be given subject to the completion of decontamination of any non-compliant used vehicle at an approved decontamination facility. Any required action will be at the importer's expense. In addition, unless a non-compliant used vehicle is adequately secured to prevent the movement of any regulated pests from that used vehicle, decontamination must be conducted within 12 ;hours of the used vehicle's arrival at the port of discharge in New Zealand.

Transport of any used vehicle to an approved decontamination facility for decontamination shall be in a manner directed by an inspector that will minimise the biosecurity risk from the contamination. Such used vehicles may be given biosecurity clearance and released from the decontamination facility by an inspector on an individual basis after re-inspection or via a quality system approved by Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's Quarantine Service.

9 Feedback On Non-Compliance

The exporting country's national plant protection organisation will be informed by the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's Director, Forest Biosecurity of the interception of regulated pests or non-compliance with other phytosanitary requirements.

Endnotes

1. Pursuant to the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996, proposals for the deliberate introduction of new organisms (including genetically modified organisms) as defined by the Act should be referred to:

   Manager, Operations
   Environmental Risk Management Authority
   PO Box 131
   Wellington
   NEW ZEALAND

   In order to meet the Environmental Risk Management Authority's requirements the scientific name (i.e., genus and species) of the commodity must be included in the phytosanitary certificate. back to body text