Author: GPSM

Holiday Message from Our Team at GPSM

When the team at GPSM sit back and consider the year that was in 2017, we are thankful for many things, and especially the wonderful relationships with have with customers and partners like you. It’s all about the people when it comes down to it and working with great customers like GPSM have the pleasure in doing, makes our role all that more enjoyable and fulfilling.

We greatly appreciate you putting your faith in our team and we are delighted and proud to be part of your supply chain.

Thank you so much for your ongoing support.

We would like to wish you and all your team, health and happiness over the holidays.

Merry Christmas

Warm Regards, all the team at GPSM

Port Industrial Action – Melbourne

Unions defy Supreme Court order that should see VICT operations resume

Further to our Newsflash on Wednesday 13/12/17, the below commentary is given by Victorian Road Transport Association on the on-going picket lines at Melbourne’s Web Dock VICT Container Terminal:

“The Victorian Transport Association is imploring the MUA and CFMEU to comply with Supreme Court orders issued yesterday 12/12/17 for their illegal picket at Victoria International Container Terminal to be disbanded.

On Tuesday, the Court issued orders against the MUA and CFMEU which prevents them approaching within 100 metres of VICT’s business. It also issued orders requiring the unions not to restrict access to VICT by either trucks or people, and requiring them not to encourage others to attend the site to do the same.

Despite the Court order, it is our understanding that the picket is still in place and trucks are not able to access containers at VICT. This arrogant defiance of a Supreme Court order is continuing to disrupt activities at the terminal, as well as trade and commerce throughout the state during the busiest time of the year for small businesses that are being denied access to their goods. The order from the Court was effectively a signal that the Victorian people should not be held to ransom by illegal picketing that has shut down the Port of Melbourne’s third stevedore, and it is stunning that the unions are showing such contempt.

Breaking the law, as the MUA and CFMEU are doing by defying these orders, is irresponsible, immature and selfish. It’s time they grew up and stop holding VICT and Victorians to ransom through these actions.

There is a prescribed system in place for matters like the one that led to this illegal picketing to be dealt with. To prevent further disruptions at the Port of Melbourne and embarrassment for Victoria as a place to do business, we urge all parties to use the industrial relations system and Fair Work Commission to have workplace disputes resolved”.

GPSM are pleased to advise that we have no clients containers involved in the dispute.

The shipping lines have been using DP World and Patricks Melbourne Terminals while this action has been continuing. It is hoped that the disruption is not escalated to include other Union branches and that the picket lines are removed as ordered by the Courts.

We shall keep everyone updated with further developments as we receive details.

Adding Notes to Communicater Enhancement

We have added a couple of enhancements to make navigating the add notes screens in Purchase orders and Shipments easier to work with:

1) We now default the list of recipients to only show the users currently subscribed to the note category you are sending. (Subscribed Recipients) We hope this reduces the need for scrolling.

2) All other recipients are now filed under the title of “Other Available Recipients” These are all the other users in CTR but are not subscribed to receive that note category. Just click to obtain the list.

3) We have made the notes box bigger, thanks to lots of users for their feedback on wanting a bigger notes box. We hope this helps!

We hope you enjoy these new features brought to you by Communicater.

As always please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

Port Industrial Action – Sydney and Melbourne

Sydney:

We have been advised this morning that the Maritime Union of Australia are holing a 24 hour “Pilot Strike” in Sydney from today, this action may impact on planned deliveries.

Our Transport Team will keep you advised if any of your deliveries are affected by this industrial dispute.

Melbourne:

The unauthorised picket line is still in place at Melbourne newest terminal VICT, this has now been operating since late last week and all deliveries to/from VICT terminal are affected.

While it is not one of the main Melbourne terminals it is handling various vessels for a number of shipping lines on a trial basis. The other Melbourne terminals are operating as normal with no disruption.

Again, our Transport Team will keep those clients advised of any shipments that may be affected by this industrial action.

Incomplete Product Lines will Now Appear Highlighted in Pink

We are pleased to advise we have another new feature to the view lines on the shipment or export to excel from shipment or from the 14-day delivery report, any lines that remain incomplete will now appear highlighted in pink. This allows you to quickly see what lines have not been fully shipped. Please note the columns do take into account previously shipped. Look at the QTY this shipment column to see what’s included in this shipment. If this is now fully supplied, it will not be highlighted. If its part supplied, it will be highlighted.

We hope this new feature assist you with your business.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

Please CLICK HERE find out how to export product lines from Communicater.

New Electronic Doc Pack Completed

The final transition to the new electronic Doc pack has now been completed. In a previous newsflash, we introduced the new style Doc pack. Just to recap:

Your Doc pack now opens when we receive the first document from any source. We continue to add all documents as we receive them and the Doc pack completes once the GPSM invoice and customs entry (for imports) are added. You will still receive an alert to let you know the doc pack is complete but you can refer to your Doc pack at any time to see what documents are to hand. Your Doc pack is located in the same position on your shipment screen, mid-screen, right-hand side. The Icon looks like:

completed New Doc Pack Screen

The old style Doc pack which was only added to the shipment around the time of delivery has now ceased.

We hope you enjoy this new initiative from GPSM.

Sydney Port Operations Suspended

Last evening 5/12/17 the Sydney Harbour Master directed that storm lines to be deployed on all vessels alongside as a result of high seas in Sydney. All quay line operations were halted at around 4.25pm and are expected to remain in force until late this afternoon 6/12/17.

Obviously, this will impact vessel arrival/departure schedules and container availabilities and revisions will be advised once known. Earlier forecasted container availabilities will be severely affected.

Our Transport team will keep you advised of revised delivery schedules once normal port operations resume.

Sydney Port Disruption Tuesday 28th November 2017

Deliveries to and from Sydney Port will be disrupted on Tuesday 28th November 2017 due to the Maritime Union holding their Annual General Meeting.

There will be no movements to/from the port between the hours of 8.00am and 4.00pm.

Our Transport team will be in contact to rearrange any pre-booked deliveries to those clients that are affected.

Updated Import Conditions for Manufactured Wooden Articles (MWA)

The Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (DAWR) has changed import conditions for the import of Manufactured Wooden Articles (MWA) based on industry feedback and import conditions review, whereby the department is increasing the time allowed between treatment and export of MWA from 21 days to 6 months.

This additional time between treatment and export is aimed at assisting manufacturers/suppliers to be able to effectively treat the goods at an appropriate time during their manufacture. However, to account for this increase in time between treatment and export, importers need to provide assurance that goods have not been infested with pests after treatment.

The following scenarios do not require a declaration:

1) Goods in consignments that have been sealed in a container and exported immediately after treatment (i.e. date of treatment and date of the export match). The dates assessed by DAWR will be the shipped on board date and treatment date of documents provided.

2) Goods in consignments that have been treated in an FCL container then exported in the same container.

3) Goods that have been treated with permanent preservative treatments

To assist you with compliance with this requirement I have attached a template which you should forward to your Manufacturer/supplier to complete all future imports.

Download Template:

Manufacturers Template for Treated Cargo

New Packing Declarations Implementation

The Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (DAWR) has updated import conditions for Bamboo packaging. Bamboo packaging is acceptable provided it is treated by an approved method prior to export or on arrival and does not need to be declared as unacceptable packaging. This means that revised consignment specific and annual packing declarations will be implemented on 20 November 2017.

The department will continue to accept packing declarations that are in the current format for consignments shipped on or before 30 June 2018, however, we recommend that you advise your suppliers now to implement the new procedure sooner than later and forward new Annual Declarations to our office as you receive them.

 

Download Forms:

FCL-LCL Annual Packing Declaration from 01/07/2018
FCL-LCL Packing Declaration from 01/07/2018

Sample templates attached and DAWR Notice extract attached.
http://www.agriculture.gov.au/import/industry-advice/2017/101-2017