Once your goods reach New Zealand ports there is a standard process it will go through before it can be released to you:
PORT PROCEDURE
When the ship arrives, it takes about an hour to tie up.
It can then take anything up to a day to unload the ship, depending on a number of factors, including size of cargo, and the number of other sailings arriving in the same period.
ATF receives the paperwork, either directly or from your shipping agent, and this is then ‘lodged’ with the Stevedore firm that handles that ship.
Two documents are required to have a vehicle released:
1. NZ Customs Delivery Order
2. Paid Ships Delivery Order
or if a vehicle is a Coastal (within NZ only), a Paid Ships Delivery Order is also required (previously a Carter’s Note was acceptable).
Most ports operate as high-security areas meaning members of the public are not allowed to go in to obtain their vehicles. Only licensed transport operators can be engaged to retrieve the vehicle for you.
The Stevedores release the vehicle on a ‘Tally Note’ meaning:
1. they check vehicle/paperwork is correct and give a list of chassis numbers to our transport operators.
2. They then go out, find the vehicle and label it for the designated transport operator. This can take some time if they have 1000+ vehicles to handle.
3. MPI (MAF)
Click here to view their requirements
MPI (MAF) inspect and may elect to ‘Stop’ any vehicle that needs attention such as
steam-cleaning, a vacuum or even gas-treatment to kill any threatening biological life such as larvae. If cleaning is done at the Port, after MPI (MAF) re-inspect the finished work they will put a green sticker on it indicating to the Stevedore’s that they are allowed to deliver to our transport operator’s area.
The Stevedore’s then bring the vehicle out and park it in our transport operator’s compound for delivery.
ATFS also operates a MPI-Licensed closed transporter that is able to bring Red-Stickered (or Stopped) vehicles off the wharf into ATFS facilities where cleaning and fumigation can then take place. MPI (MAF) will re-inspect the cleaned vehicle at the ATFS site as is also done with Container Devans.
The MPI (MAF) release HAS to be obtained before ATFS can release the vehicle. (This is generally a quicker service than waiting for a wharf-side clean and re-inspection.)
