After gaining Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) approval, ST has doubled its fumigation pads to speed up throughput at its Lytton terminal, and is now seeking to double its capacity for processing tyres at the nearby Hemmant plant. As a heavy equipment specialist, ST is licensed by AQIS to process imported heavy equipment, such as tyres, for customs and quarantine clearances.
A typical inspection process takes about three days, but can be as quick as 48 hours, says Brad Skelton, ST managing director Brad Skelton. This includes 24 hours for exposure to the fumigant methyl bromide, AQIS inspection, and washing as required. If water is found inside the casing, it is also treated with chlorine.
“There is a lot of pressure to get the tyres through quickly, and it’s not just tyres, it’s all the equipment we handle in the mining and construction sector,” Skelton said. “We have to treat all that cargo as urgent at the moment because demand is so high.”
Skelton predicts the company will process more than 800 heavy earthmoving tyres in the next two months, up from 500 in the past two months.
But mining companies in particular cannot get their hands on enough tyres, Skelton says.
“The tyre manufacturers are trying to respond to the demand for new tyres but the way mining is booming and the amount of equipment being sold, it’s creating a lot of pressure,” he said.
“A number of major mining companies have expensive machinery parked and out of action because they can’t get hold of the tyres they require.
“This has really put the brakes on the mining industry at a time when it should be increasing production to take advantage of surging commodity prices. Instead, we’re seeing production slowing and expansion plans being put on hold.”
Similar to imported construction and mining equipment, AQIS can order “dirty” tyres to be re-exported back to the original destination if deemed to be too much of a quarantine risk.
“It’s not very common – we are aware of approximately half a dozen instances this year. But generally those tyres have been in poor condition. It’s fair to say we go to great lengths to educate the importers, particularly with used tyres, on what quarantine standards are required. We even have a group that check tyres are clean enough before they are put on board the vessel to come here.”
