Biosecurity

20 April 2023

Is biosecurity affecting new cars? Yes. Globally, about 80 million cars are made a year and COVID-19 caused a huge disruption in the vehicle supply chain.
 
Australia has very rigorous biosecurity laws, and that’s good for agriculture and the broader community. But we’re finding some countries (China is high on the list) are now sending over cars that have bugs and seeds, and all sorts of stuff on them. 

It’s because these vehicles sit around for longer than they ordinarily would, while they wait to be transported to the docks and onto a ship. If it happens to be spring or early summer, the bug issue is compounded. 

It’s causing a real problem for biodiversity inspectors on our end. There’s a backlog because these cars must be cleaned and fumigated, which takes time. 

And the flow-on effect goes beyond bugs. For example, delays in the arrival of your new car means keeping the old one longer, which could result in unplanned maintenance costs or a different looking trade in price.

Tasmania’s new car dealerships are reporting factory production delays of months. Then add biosecurity delays of weeks, and you’ve got massive supply chain frustrations everywhere.

That leads to a whole new conversation with your chosen dealership. If your new vehicle is caught up in the delays, don’t beat the dealer up – they are the only ones who can help you. This certainly highlights the value of buying local.

Our new car dealers employ a large number of Tasmanians and provide industry training for young people through auto apprenticeships. They’re also embracing emerging technologies and investing heavily to accommodate industry’s transition to zero and low emission vehicles.

The new car market is very different to what it used to be. Just something to keep in mind if you’re looking to trade up to new.

Words: TACC State Manager Bruce McIntosh. As featured in the Mercury on 21 April 2023.