Quarantine Services, High Pressure Water Blasting, Melbourne

According to the Quarantine Act 1908 (Cth), quarantine waste may include:

• Material used to pack and stabilise imported goods;
• Waste from Overseas Vessels, i.e. ship, aircraft or transport vehicle, including galley waste, cabin waste and hold waste (both food and non-food waste), waste from non-passenger aircraft and ships including food scraps, soil and manure.
• Human, animal or plant waste brought into Australia;
• Refuse or sweepings from a hold of an Overseas Vessel;
• Any other waste or other material, which comes into contact with Quarantine Waste;
• Contents of AQIS airport amnesty bins; and
• Articles seized by AQIS and/or not collected by clients.

It is the Ship Master or Aircraft Captains responsibility to ensure all waste is stored in secure and leak-proof facilities and is available for collection on docking at Australian ports. The Australia Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) is responsible for the quarantine clearance of vessels once they arrive in Australia. The collection, storage, transportation, treatment and disposal of this waste can be supervised by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) on an hourly fee basis or through the use of an AQIS approved service provider, such as Corio Waste Management.

Corio Waste Management's quarantine waste collection, transportation, storage, treatment and disposal service offering includes:

• The supply of bins and containers that prevent the spillage or leakage of waste and that also prevent the escape of any insects that may be present in the waste;
• The design and construction of an AQIS approved storage area, i.e. storage and containment building, equipment cleaning area and refrigerated containers;
• The collection of quarantine waste by an AQIS approved person, the transportation of waste in an AQIS approved transport vehicle and the storage of quarantine waste in an AQIS approved storage area (Compliance Agreement Reference Number: 001385) such as its facility located at Heales Road in Lara, which is an approved Quarantine Cleaning Facility (Approval Number: V1408) under Section 46A of the Quarantine Act 1908 (Cth).

In relation to the importation of products into Australia and the processing of imported products containing animal or plant material, The Quarantine Act 1908 (Cth) relies upon a voluntary mechanism, the Compliance Agreement to ensure compliance with a range of statutory obligations relating to the protection of human beings, animals, plants, other aspects of the environment or economic activities against the threat of a disease or pest being introduced, established or spread in Australia.

The schedules to the Compliance Agreements define the relationship of the Compliance Agreement to the relevant legislation and the outcomes to be achieved under the terms of the Compliance Agreement. Each schedule contains the requirements for a set of Operational Procedures Statements, which detail the procedures that the industry party, i.e. importer, must follow to meet the outcomes prescribed by the schedules and AQIS policy relating to compliance with those procedures. Each set of Operational Procedures Statements contains a Process Management System (PMS), which details the specific procedures and activities that the industry party is required to perform in order to meet the outcomes in the Schedule.

The main requirements of a PMS that relate to the management of quarantine waste are:

• All waste materials associated with the processing of imported plant or animal product must be securely contained within the AQIS Registered Processing Premises prior to treatment.
• All quarantine waste and quarantine waste water that may contain or have come into contact with imported product must be identified and stored in bins marked 'Quarantine Waste'.
• All solid waste materials, including spoiled product and packaging associated with the processing of imported product must be treated as quarantine waste and treated on site using a method approved in writing by AQIS prior to disposal as general waste. Quarantine wastewater must be disposed of by direction to the sewerage system or other method approved in writing by AQIS.
• The Industry Party must ensure that all quarantine waste is identified as such to the waste transport company and disposal facility and that only AQIS approved waste transporters such as Corio Waste Management are used to convey the waste to an AQIS approved treatment facility. The Industry Party must seek approval from AQIS prior to changing any quarantine waste disposal contractual details.
• All receptacles holding imported product waste materials must be identified as containing quarantine waste and must be inaccessible to all animals and birds (i.e. stored inside the plant, bins with lids etc.).

Compliance with the conditions of the PMS and compliance agreement is monitored by a system of compulsory auditing and surveillance. There are four types of audit: initial audits, announced audits, unannounced audits and reinstatement audits. Initial audits are conducted to assess whether the other party to the agreement meets the requirements for a schedule with AQIS. Unannounced audits are undertaken by AQIS from time to time.

Reinstatement audits are conducted by AQIS following a period of suspension. If, during the reinstatement audit, a major non?conformance or equivalent is detected, the suspension will continue and the other party will be asked to show cause as to why its schedule should not be cancelled. If the reinstatement audit proceeds without the detection of any major non-conformances, the other party will revert to the next review level. Audits are charged on an hourly fee basis by AQIS. Surveillance may also be conducted by an AQIS officer at the premises at any time.

There are five review levels that apply to the other party. A party to a review level may commence a scheme at level 5 or level 1. The table below describes the review level, audit rate and review period all schedules. The detection of a major non conformance will cause the review level to move to the next review level (from level 1 to level 2 and so on). Where a party to a compliance agreement is operating at review levels 2, 3 or 4 and no major non conformance is detected during the specified review period, the review level will return to the previous review level.

There are three types of non conformance that may be used. AQIS will notify the other party to a compliance agreement, in writing, upon the detection of a non conformance and advise the other party of subsequent compliance action to be taken. Table 5.6.4b below provides a description of the types of non conformance. The detection of two minor non conformances results in a major non conformance and a subsequent increase in the review level.

Suspension of a schedule may occur at any time, however, in general, will only occur once the other party reaches review level 5 as a result of the accumulation of non?conformances. During the suspension period the other party will be asked to show cause as to why their schedule should not be cancelled including evidence of supervisory and counselling procedures to prevent recurrence of non-conformance(s), as well as any other information to support their case. Failure to comply with all quarantine directions and relevant AQIS import permit conditions may result in immediate suspension of the schedule.

A schedule may be cancelled if:

• a major non conformance is detected during a reinstatement audit; or
• a critical non conformance or multiple non conformances are detected; or
• the Director of Quarantine or delegate considers this course of action is justified after one or more
• major non?conformances are detected; or
• there is a breach of the Quarantine Act 1908 (Cth).

The detection of a critical non?conformance or multiple non?conformances may be deemed to be a failure by the other party to comply with a requirement of the schedule, and criminal liability may apply as stated in Section 66B(7) of the Act. If the Other Party believes that there were extenuating circumstances in respect to the occurrence of a non-conformance, they may appeal against the decision, in writing, within 10 business days from the date of notification setting out their reasons for appeal.

Corio Waste Management offers a comprehensive consulting and auditing service for organisations who have entered into a Compliance Agreement with AQIS, including:

• Assessment and selection of the most appropriate quarantine waste treatment technologies for your site such as incineration, chemical disinfection, steam sterilisation, gamma irradiation, plasma arc destruction, electrothermal sterilisation and deep burial at landfill.
• Preparation and submission of Planning and Building Permits, Works Approval, Licenses and Trade Waste Agreements to statutory authorities such as AQIS, EPA, local government and water authority.
• Development, implementation and auditing of Process Management Systems, Environmental Management Plans and Quality Management Systems,
• Design, construction and operation of an AQIS approved treatment facility including site security, storage and containment building, waste shredding and compaction equipment, installation and commissioning of the facility, ancillary equipment including conveyor system, automated packaging and loading equipment, exhaust fans and stacks, electrical control boards with PLC, SCADA process control system and supervision, operation and maintenance of the facility.
• Auditing and assessment compliance with an AQIS Compliance Agreement and assistance with implementing the appropriate corrective action upon the detection of a non-conformance.