Regional CPD Convention Report 

The first of this year’s Regional Conventions was held 2nd April in NSW with more than (150) attendees at the Novotel Brighton.  QLD followed last weekend with (120) industry delegates at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Convention dates for the remainder of the states are VIC 30 April, WA 14 May and SA 28 May.

The numbers of attendees confirmed the value for delegates of putting in a full day to hear some of the best speakers and presentations while attaining (24) CPD points. 

The speakers were diverse in their fields with all topics relevant to the customs broking industry and all presentations interesting and informative. 

One of the key issues brought up during the Australian Border Force (ABF) presentations was the eligibility of goods for TCO through interpretation. It is evident in the current environment that the only certainty for industry as to tariff classification is to apply for a ruling. 

Getting a ruling processed through the National Trade Advice Centre (NTAC), which continues to operate in a state of disarray, within agreed timeframes, is another ongoing issue.

The Commander, Customs Compliance acknowledged the difficulty of filling positions in NTAC and that they were actively looking to resolve same.

It was noted that NTAC was funded with significant money three years ago and to date industry has not seen any deliverables that were promised.

The Ethics presentation from Andrew Hudson from Gadens was a good reminder of industry’s obligations and the associated risks within the current regulatory environment.

The Trident Taskforce presentation from Stuart Cameron of Victoria Police was thought provoking for attendees as to the ramifications of criminality in the supply chain. It demonstrated the significance of the licensed customs broker at the border and highlighted the benefit of cross checking of all information provided to the ABF. The key issue from this presentation was the identification of clients. The CBFCA has previously produced an insight bulletin on this for members.

As part of issues relating to import prohibitions and restrictions, the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency (ASEA) were also present. This was recognised by the Customs Compliance Branch as being a high level target area for the ABF.

Nick Miller from ASEA delivered on a subject that definitely is touching a lot of industry with major ramifications pre and post clearance. The heightened focus on products containing asbestos is evident that many in the community are unaware of the ongoing and devastating impact that asbestos can have. The import community/industry’s clients need to be aware of these asbestos issues. ASEA provided a comprehensive information folder to assist with the education of same.

Scott Stone from the Air Cargo Security Taskforce put forward a good programme of the current state of play, the outside pressures for change and the changes being put in to effect. 

The DAWR presentation from representatives, Julie Weymouth and Julie Sims, was operational looking at plans for the future. There was a healthy discussion from the floor on the expected return to acceptable service delivery standards.

Industry agrees that there is a general failure of DAWR officers to process or interpret correctly within ASG, resulting in time and resources for industry to follow up for rectification. Dealing with the current phone system leads to more lost time and frustration and in many cases a no care attitude from DAWR staff.

The Chairman John Chambers provided an excellent real life, informative session on FTAs, highlighting the main differences between them. This was useful and practical advice on how a broker should proceed particularly with the current uncertain state of play with ChAFTA.

All questions from the floor were on point and event participants found them relevant to day to day issues.

Both events moved along at a steady pace without being rushed, or any presentation being too long.  The networking time available was good for attendees to catch up with friends and associates to enable informal discussions about the topics on the day.

The CBFCA would like to thank our sponsors for the NSW and QLD events:
Direct Couriers, Citycover (Aust) Pty Ltd., TWUSUPER, Cyberfreight, Patrick, Port of Brisbane and 3DL. 

Citycover has provided the following message of thanks to those who attended the first of the conventions.

“We would like to thank you for allowing Citycover to be a part of the NSW Regional Convention on Saturday 02.04.2016, and for visiting us at our Trade Stand. It was a great way to introduce ourselves and to discuss the Marine Transit Insurance Platform we have designed for CBFCA members.

If you didn’t get the chance to speak to us about the platform, please contact me on my details below for more information.

We also had many enquiries with regards to Professional Indemnity Insurance and Freight Forwarders Liability Insurance. These policies have been designed for Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders and the policies are really competitive in the Australian market.

As you are aware, with an increase in fines and penalties currently being experienced within your industry, as well the need for errors and omissions insurance cover, it is more important than ever to have this insurance in place. 

If you would like us to quote on these products, or for a copy of the platform demonstration video, please contact Lydia Flemming. 

A direct link to our Citycover CBFCA webpage can be found here.