Quarantine and Biosecurity Consultancy in Brisbane, Darwin and Townsville

Depth Logistics helps shippers plan and achieve quarantine and biosecurity compliance, from biosecurity management plans and pre-shipment cleanliness inspections through to Australian quarantine clearance on arrival. Our team includes former quarantine officers and logistics professionals whose depth of experience in the field is without peer, and we back the advice with our own DAFF washing and fumigation facilities in Brisbane and Darwin and mobile DAFF washing and fumigation in Townsville.

Why biosecurity planning matters

Biosecurity is an increasingly important consideration in global shipping. With very large modularised and heavy lift cargo that needs to go straight to site, clearance through quarantine authorities on arrival must be carefully planned well ahead of time. Some countries, such as Australia, can order the re-export of cargo deemed contaminated, at the shipper’s expense.

Our quarantine and biosecurity services

• Biosecurity management plans
• Pre-shipment cleanliness inspections
• Pre-shipment washing, treatment and shrink wrapping
• Australian quarantine clearance
• Quarantine approved premises applications, training and audits
• Ship and vessel inspections
• Cargo fumigation

Biosecurity management plans

A Biosecurity Management Plan (BMP) is essential for all stakeholders in a large project. We start with a biosecurity audit to identify the facility’s compliance status, then compile a detailed BMP to address any issues we find, while keeping the commercial impact on your operations as low as possible. We liaise with government quarantine authorities so they are kept well advised of the measures you have taken, help you implement the plan, train your people, and inspect the cargo and ship before shipment to reduce biosecurity risk.

Pre-shipment cleanliness inspections

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) can order the re-export of cargo it deems too dirty for entry, at the shipper’s expense. To protect you from such an order, we offer a cost-effective pre-shipment cleanliness inspection service. At short notice, our biosecurity team can travel anywhere in the world to inspect cargo and help wash it to a standard that removes the threat of a re-export order.

Pre-shipment washing, treatment and shrink wrapping

Using our own biosecurity team and our global network of contractors, we provide a full range of quarantine-related cargo preparation:

• Washing cargo to Australian, New Zealand and USA standards
• Fumigation
• Shrink wrapping to prevent re-contamination
• Cargo dismantling
• Container packing

For defence and government cargo leaving Australia, our SEA PREP service prepares cargo for transportation.

Australian quarantine clearance

Quarantine authorities can order imported cargo to undergo further washing or treatment, such as fumigation, on arrival. Our own DAFF washpads and fumigation pads, plus our network of reliable contractors and approved premises, attend to your cargo promptly so it is released with minimal delay. We also arrange customs clearance, so the whole process can be handled by one team.

Quarantine approved premises applications, training and audits

Our team has extensive experience owning and operating quarantine approved premises. We use that experience to help you obtain approval for your own premises: we handle the application, train your team in quarantine compliance and awareness and in washing cargo to the required standard, and audit the facility to check it meets all approval conditions.

Ship and vessel inspections

If the ship carrying your cargo is contaminated with biosecurity risk material from a previous voyage, your cargo could be cross-contaminated or its discharge delayed. All arriving vessels are subject to strict customs and quarantine inspections and controls, and we provide vessel inspection services to reduce these risks.

Quarantine and biosecurity support in Brisbane

Our Brisbane Depth Defence Logistics Centre (2DLC) at 8 Culya St, Pinkenba QLD 4008 operates under DAFF Approved Arrangement Q3134. It has two all-weather DAFF biosecurity washpads, a cargo fumigation pad, BMSB fumigation and treatment, DAFF 14.4 rural tailgates, a 20′ and 40′ container inspection stand, and weed and seed certificate inspections and washdowns.

Quarantine and biosecurity support in Darwin

Our Darwin 2DLC at 31 Muramats Rd, East Arm NT 0822, 4 km from the Darwin Port gate, operates under DAFF Approved Arrangement C1198. It has an all-weather DAFF biosecurity washpad, a cargo fumigation pad, BMSB fumigation and treatment, DAFF 14.4 rural tailgates, a container inspection stand, weed and seed inspections and washdowns, and Tiwi Islands quarantine inspections, washing and compliance.

Quarantine and biosecurity support in Townsville

From our Townsville depot at 16 Mackley St, Garbutt QLD 4814, we provide mobile DAFF biosecurity washing of military equipment and mobile fumigation. There is no fixed washpad at the depot. We wash military equipment on the wharf at Townsville and Cairns and at ADF bases, and our SEA PREP service is used at the Port of Townsville and Cairns Wharf.

BMSB status

The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) is native to East Asia but is now established in many other regions, including Europe and North America, and can cause severe damage to fruit and vegetable crops. Australia and New Zealand have added biosecurity measures to prevent its spread to Oceania. Depth Logistics is DAFF approved for BMSB fumigation and treatments, and we support clients with compliance on BMSB measures and keep them advised of changes.

For the full rules, see the Australian requirements and the New Zealand requirements. The responsibility for quarantine compliance rests with the shipper, so please contact us if you have any questions.

Frequently asked questions