FAQs related to Requirements for the Audit of Sea Containers

• Yes - Where FCL or LCL containers containing personal effects use the BACC Application coversheet method of moving the goods to a Transitional Facility.
• No - For the clearance of the personal effects using the Unaccompanied Personal Baggage Declaration, the declaration will still be the required process.

No - These use a different coversheet and application process.

Imported cargo. In practice the system covers freight clearances that were previously faxed to MAF using the Fax BACC Application coversheet.

Depending on the way your software is configured, you can receive a BACC response message via ECN, or it can be directly from MAF to the e-mail address that you specify in your eBACCa application. BACCs are now issued as both XML and DPF documents.

The fax processes will continue to be used to process faxed BACC applications, albeit they will be scaled down as the fax traffic decreases, and eBACCa will receive priority.

It will, but is being phased out.

Should further information be required to enable the Risk Screener to issue a BACC, an electronic response will come back to you seeking further information to enable the process to continue.

This will be dependent upon what your software (and/or software vendor) supports. The BACC can be delivered to your system via the existing MAF email process. Alternatively ECN are providing a system that can deliver this to your system.

Once the Risk Screener takes the Electronic BACC Application from the Inbound Messaging queue and processes it, you will receive a consignment reference number and then (assuming they have all the required information) the issued BACC. The Application will now have a unique number within QuanCargo. The BACC will continue to be issued using the current methods of fax or e-mail. Additionally ECN and MAF are working on providing an alternative via ECN.

You will receive an electronic message to say that it has been received by MAF containing a receipt number (for reference). Inbound Messaging provides MAF with a queue system that lists all unprocessed Electronic BACC Applications and monitors the turnaround time

There are no direct costs per message as MAF recovers the costs through the Risk Screening Levy. There are however ECN charges using a similar per electronic message model and rate to that used for the service to the New Zealand Customs Service.

Not at this time - It is expected that the Border Sector Single Window initiative will provide this functionality in the future.

ECN also provides a 'link' between industry and the New Zealand Customs Service. They have the experience, relationships and support systems to provide a centralised server and manage the required changes to industry applications, through an agreement with MAF.

The Inbound Messaging Project Guidelines for eBACCa Electronic Data Interchange Partnership Testing: PDF (162 KB)

Your software will need to be updated. You will need to talk with your software supplier who will discuss the requirements with ECN.

ECN stands for 'The Electronic Commerce Network Group', details of what they do can be found at www.ecngroup.co.nz. ECN provides a 'link' between the various software applications used by industry and the MAF IT systems. They ensure that the various electronic documentation 'formats' and messages being sent to MAF are able to be received and processed by MAF

Biosecurity Costs Regulations 2006 set charges for the inspection of unaccompanied baggage or personal effects at $100 per hour for each general inspector involved. However, a waiver was granted at the request of International Movers Associations that the biosecurity inspection of personal effects is charged according to a voluntary schedule detailed below:

We cannot be accurate at this time, but it is likely to be somewhere in the realm of $500 per year per ship coming to New Zealand. This levy will be supplemented by direct user charges in the small number of cases where ships require additional control action. Maritime New Zealand will administer the levy similarly to the current Maritime Safety Charge.

The levy will be developed in regulations following changes to the Maritime Transport Act. Stakeholders and interested groups will have the opportunity to contribute their views on the levy as part of the public consultation process for the regulations.

It will apply to all ships designed or constructed to carry ballast water, that bring ballast water from outside New Zealand for discharge here – both foreign and New Zealand-flagged ships, and to New Zealand-flagged ships making international journeys. The Convention will not initially apply to ships that only operate in our waters, but this may be subject to change in the future based on risk.

The responsibility for implementing the Convention will be shared between MAF Biosecurity New Zealand and Maritime New Zealand, and it is to be given effect through the Biosecurity and Maritime Transport Acts. Maritime New Zealand will be responsible for requirements relating to ships, while MAF will be responsible for ballast water management policy, and controlling facilities in ports for ballast sediment disposal.

It is expected that the process of enacting amendments to New Zealand legislation and developing new Maritime Protection Rules could be completed in 2010. As well, the Convention itself has to come into force and can only do so when 35 member states representing 35% of world merchant shipping tonnage have become Parties. Currently only 14 states have joined, but there does appear to be sufficient support for the Convention to come into force, including from international organisations that represent ship-owners.

In 1998 New Zealand introduced mandatory ballast water controls under the Biosecurity Act. These require ballast water taken up in foreign ports to be discharged in mid-ocean and replaced with oceanic water. These existing controls provide some protection against introductions of marine pests, but have limitations – it is not entirely effective at removing coastal organisms, there is some risk to ship safety and they may not be undertaken in extreme conditions.

Marine pest organisms can also come to New Zealand as biofouling growing on ship hulls.

Water used to weight or balance a ship to keep it stable and deep enough in the water when it is not laden with cargo. Water is loaded as ballast as cargo is offloaded, and discharged when cargo is taken on board.

Depending on the facility and if risk goods are present:

If a facility is able to control access (eg customer and couriers are coming to one area to pick-up and drop-off items) then a visitors book might not be necessary.

In general, there should be no public access where uncleared risk goods are held.

A sealed hard stand area should be big enough to have a 3m clearance at the front for unloading and 1m clearance around the sides and back of the container so a check by an Accredited Person can easily take place. 3m around the entire container should be kept clear from vegetation, rubbish or debris.

If you have an equivalent system in place to effectively mitigate biosecurity risk, contact your local Biosecurity Inspector who can assess whether or not it is appropriate.

To gain or maintain approval in a rural area you may need to develop specialised systems that can more effectively deal with biosecurity risks. For example, if you do not have access to council sewers then you may need to find another approved means of dealing with waste water if it is used to clean sea containers or other risk material. Contact an Inspector for more details.

Facilities are encouraged to have internet access on site as this will allow for ease of communication with MAF. It will also allow facilities importing sea containers to report contaminated sea container log sheets using the online system at the MAF Approved Transitional Facility and Accredited Person Site .

The types of facilities covered under the new standard are facilities previously approved under the following standards

• 152.04.03f - Requirements for holding and processing facilities
• BNZ STD TFSCO - requirements for transitional facilities for sea containers
• PBC-NZ-STD-FACIL-FLIGHT – requirements for flight kitchens (transitional facilities)
• PBC-NZ-STD-FACIL-REFUSE – requirements for incineration/ sterilisation facilities for quarantine refuse or uncleared risk goods
• 154.02.18- transitional facilities for animal products
• 154.02.17 – transitional facilities for biological products ONLY where the facility is receiving and holding the product, not processing the product.

Operating manual templates will be made available on the MAFBNZ website. They provide a basis only for the development of your operating manual, because it must be specific to your facility. The Operator training course also provides information and help with development of an operating manual.