Don’t risk a penalty when you travel to Australia for Rugby World Cup 2003

Travellers can do the oddest things when they first encounter Australian Quarantine.

Not so long ago, when an Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) officer asked a prominent former Australian Rugby international to clean his boots when he was returning from an overseas game, the player decided to leave his boots in the airport arrivals hall rather than waste time scrubbing off the mud of a far-flung field. He must have had a very good footwear endorsement deal¾or maybe he’d had an unhappy game in the soiled size-11s.

Soon afterward, an international team that arrived into Australia were faced with the same dilemma and presumably heeded the former star’s advice. You guessed it, instead of staging a ‘team-clean-at-quarantine’, they decided to dispose of 22 pairs of boots¾complete with soil and grass.

Rugby World Cup 2003 participants, officials and supporters will all meet Quarantine when they arrive in Australia; and if it’s a while since you last flew to Australia, you’ll notice plenty of changes. Significant increases to Australia’s quarantine systems since 2001 mean AQIS now screens more international passengers than ever before.

By declaring items such as food and souvenirs (especially items that include seeds, wood, feathers, shells, rawhide or bone) for inspection¾and by making sure your shoes, boots and sporting equipment are free of grass or soil¾you’ll not only play an important role in protecting Australia’s unique environment, you’ll also avoid the risk of a $A220 on-the-spot fine. Or, for more serious offences, the possibility of going to court and facing up to $66,000 in penalties . . . plus a criminal record.

“When visitors arrive in Australia for Rugby World Cup 2003, AQIS will inspect their luggage, sporting equipment — including boots, balls and scrum machines — and other supplies,” AQIS spokesman Carson Creagh says.

“We’re now screening more than four in every five passengers, so trying to smuggle items of quarantine concerns simply isn’t worth the risk. Major Quarantine upgrades at all of Australia’s international airports mean you’ll be met by more AQIS inspectors, Quarantine detector dogs and high-tech X-ray machines that can ‘see’ organic material such as food.

“But we’re hoping Rugby World Cup 2003 visitors will help us protect Australia from exotic pests and diseases by declaring quarantine items on their Incoming Passenger Card — and by asking a Quarantine officer if they’re not sure about the goods they’re carrying,” Carson says.

By remembering a few simple tips, visitors heading to Australia for Rugby World Cup 2003 will breeze through Quarantine and be ready to enjoy the fun and friendship of this great sporting event:

• clean shoes, boots and sporting equipment to remove traces of soil before you travel. Soil could contain threats such as foot and mouth virus or grass seeds. If Quarantine officers find traces of soil, they’ll clean and disinfect your footwear and equipment.
• complete your Incoming Passenger Card truthfully — it’s a legal document. If you don’t declare goods of quarantine concern, you could face an on-the-spot fine or prosecution.
• some items are prohibited, such as fresh fruit and vegetables, live plants, and meat, egg and dairy products. You can drop these items in the specially marked bins on your way to collect your luggage or declare them on your Incoming Passenger Card for inspection.
• food-based dietary supplements may contain high risk ingredients, especially those that include dairy, egg or meat products. These could introduce exotic diseases such as infectious bursal disease (eggs) or foot and mouth (meat and diary products). Dietary supplements are readily available in Australia.
• if any items you’re carrying are made from or contain seeds, wood, feathers, rawhide or bone, be sure to tick ‘yes’ on your Incoming Passenger Card. These items may be allowed, but they must be inspected and may need to be treated. In most cases they’ll just be inspected and returned to you. If you’re uncertain about any items you’re carrying, please declare them.
• if you meet a Quarantine beagle in the baggage area, don’t be alarmed—they’re simply sniffing luggage for items of quarantine concern. If you see a dog working close to you, place your bags on the floor so they’re ready for inspection.
• be prepared to have your bags X-rayed or inspected by a Quarantine officer.
• pack any items that will need to be inspected by AQIS in one bag and, if possible, in an easy to reach place. This will help make inspection easier and faster — which means you’ll get out of the airport more quickly.

The last word should go to a rather confused passenger who arrived in Australia recently. She was referred to an AQIS officer for foot and mouth disease issues and said that while she’d been to farms all over Europe, in contact with farm animals and had dirty shoes, she definitely didn’t pose a disease risk to Australia. Why? Because she was a vegetarian. It’s not confirmed if she was a rugby player though.

For more information about Australia’s quarantine regulations and international travel, visit the AQIS website at www.aqis.gov.au/travel