AVOCADOS - Biosecurity New Zealand

HORTICULTURE93Biosecurity inspectors go tothe circusPre-inspection of Cirque du Soleil circus equipment is an example of thevalue in keeping biosecurity risks offshore.MAF Biosecurity NewZealand (MAFBNZ)biosecurity inspectorsrecently travelled to Melbourne, at therequest of Time Frame Logistics (NZ)Ltd, to pre-inspect the Cirque du Soleilcircus equipment prior to it beingpacked up and shipped to NewZealand for its “Dralion” show.On arrival at the Melbourne Docklandssite, MAFBNZ biosecurity inspectorsBrent Kleiss, Emma Jackson and KimThornton met the staff in charge andbegan their work with a guided tour ofthe layout.They then inspected and clearedpersonal effects for 140 people andcarried out interior inspections ofcontainers that had been cleaned readyfor packing.All goods and equipment wereinspected before loading into 70containers. Most containers also hadpest bombs added to them beforebeing bolt-sealed and placed on a flatrack stand on tarmac for exteriorcleaning to remove soil and spiders.The importance of external checks onthe containers became clear whenseveral redback and whitetail spiderswere found.The Cirque staff had learned from theprevious pre-clearance to New Zealandto ensure popcorn machines, mastsand seats were thoroughly cleanedbefore inspection. The staff wereco-operative and cleaned to anextremely high standard.Cirque staff were also interested in thepre-inspection and understood thepotential effects on our New Zealandenvironment of any unwantedorganisms.The value of pre-inspecting such cargomeans MAFBNZ can keep thebiosecurity risk offshore and allow foreasier clearance at the New Zealandborder, with the containers beingshipped directly to Cirque du Soleil’ssite.MAFBNZ’s thanks go to MarkSelwood, Time Frame Logistics (NZ)Ltd; Claudio Vella and his crew atMAFBNZ Biosecurity Inspector Brent Kleiss checks theinside of a container.Cleaning the circus tent and containers.Cirque du Soleil; and Matt Taylor,Optim Cargo Services, for theirassistance during this pre-inspection.■Sue Gould, Team Manager Offshore, MAFBNZ,sue.gould@maf.govt.nzThe Cirque du Soleil show Dralion has been touring theworld since April 1999, and features 65 artists from 14countries. It was scheduled to run in Auckland from 10 Julyto 23 August.MAF BIOSECURITY NEW ZEALAND 11