Since its formation in December 1993, the AICCC has pursued a policy of actively encouraging close working relationship between AQIS and all Industry parties. The AICCC carried out a major study into the requirements of Industry parties. This study became a key submission to the Nairn Review advocating industry participation in low risk quarantine functions. A key recommendation of the Nairn Review was the establishment of QA based systems that allowed industry to perform low risk quarantine functions
The AICCC established its own secretariat in 1997 in advance of the Government’s response to the Nairn Review recommendations being made public.
One of the key achievements of the partnership between AQIS and Industry, facilitated through the AICCC, has been the Broker Accreditation Scheme, which builds on the Nairn Report and the concept of a “Shared Responsibility”. Customs Brokers and members of the Customs Brokers and Forwarders Council of Australia Inc. (CBFCA) have embraced this Scheme which has given improved resource utilisation to both Government and industry. The Scheme has also greatly facilitated quarantine clearance arrangements and has improved the balance of facilitation and control from an AQIS perspective. The Scheme has been expanded from covering FCL containers only to also include LCL cargo and packaging concerns. A further development that has been trialled in early 2005 is the Automatic Entry Processing (AEP) for commodities which is now in place. These schemes have been the forerunner of similar arrangements being introduced for a range of other activity areas such as Quarantine Approved Premises (QAP), MT Container Parks etc
Industry members of the AICCC are closely involved in developing and operating an on-line training system “Guardian” which is used for the accreditation and re-accreditation of persons operating under AQIS Compliance Agreement. Some 8400 persons working in QAPs were accredited via this system over the past two years with re-accreditation commencing in March 2008. A generic quarantine awareness package has been finalised which will provide valuable information for all personnel associated with or working in the logistics, barrier clearance and importing industries
The AICCC continues to be closely involved in developing information packages aimed at facilitating industry compliance with Quarantine conditions, thus assisting in observation of quarantine requirements as well as speedier clearance of goods.
Industry members of the AICCC / IWGQ shared the 2000 QEAC Quarantine Award for Media and Education for the production of a CD-ROM designed to improve quarantine awareness and to provide an education tool. The CD-ROM has proven to be a success in the international trade area and was recently updated and re-issued.
