On behalf of all the staff here at Tomax Logistics we would like to wish you, your families and loved ones a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We hope that the holiday period is filled with plenty of delicious food, laughter, joy and fun for all. Hopefully you've been good this year and receive some awesome presents from Santa, and plenty of enjoyment from the gift of giving - especially to the little ones!

Thank you for your support of Tomax Logistics in 2018, we appreciate it immensely. We are thankful that we're able to work so closely together in a friendly and supportive relationship to meet our mutual goals. We look forward to serving your logistics needs again in 2019. Here's to Tomax achieving the ultimate in customer service, and helping you break new records in growth and profitability.

**!! MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM EVERYONE AT TOMAX !!**

Many businesses will close down for the Christmas holiday by this Friday or following Monday, or have already closed down, but containers will most likely continue to arrive. The terminals operate every day during the break except Christmas Day. To prevent wharf storage, our transport operations will continue to work during the break. For importers not able to take delivery of containers between 18 December and 8 January, containers that are picked up and held during this time will attract the following surcharges:

Cartage Back to Yard for Holding: $160 per 20' / $200 per 40' - including lifts
Storage at Yard (after 3 days free): $10 per 20' / $20 per 40'

Public Holiday Surcharges will also apply to containers that have to be picked up from the wharf on the following days:
Saturday 22 December - $110 per container
Sunday 23 December - $110 per container
Monday 24 December - $110 per container
Wednesday 26 December - $220 per container
Saturday 29th December - $110 per container
Sunday 30th December - $110 per container
Monday 31 December - $110 per container
Tuesday 1st January - $220 per container

If you have any queries regarding these surcharges please contact us on 1300 186 629.

Tomax Logistics will remain open for business on every working day during the festive period. Our hours over the next few weeks are as follows:

FRI 21 December - Open from 6AM to 6PM
SAT 22 December - Closed
SUN 23 December - Closed
MON 24 December - Open from 6AM to 1pm
TUE 25 December - Closed - Christmas Day
WED 26 December - Closed - Boxing Day
THU 27 December - Open from 6AM to 6PM
FRI 28 December - Open from 6AM to 6PM
SAT 29 December - Closed
SUN 30 December - Closed
MON 31 January - Open from 6AM to 1PM
TUE 01 January - Closed - New Year's Day
WED 02 January - Open from 6AM to 6PM - normal trading resumes

Salvage efforts from the YM Efficiency have located some car tyres and containers on the sea floor. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority(AMSA) commenced an operation earlier this month to find and assess containers using a remotely operated underwater vehicle.

According to AMSA, the ROUV was deployed close to shore just south of Fingal Bay. The ROUV identified several tyres and what could be the remains of a shipping container in about 20-30 metres of water. On 10 December 2018 the ROUV was deployed about 32km east of Redhead, near where the containers were lost from the ship. The ROUV found two containers on the seafloor and was able to take images of the container numbers.

“AMSA has confirmed that the containers were part of the YM Efficiency’s manifest,” AMSA said in a public statement. “The containers are damaged but appear to be intact and resting in about 120 metres of water.”

The ROUV assessments are to continue during coming weeks as weather conditions permit.

The second phase of the surface operations aimed at finding the containers on the sea floor has also continued during the last month. The second phase involves sonar (contracted by the ship’s insurance company) to locate the outstanding containers.

Poor weather has to date impeded these efforts, albeit 254km2 of sea floor have been scanned and two additional targets identified.

A car carrier has been ordered to leave Australian waters following a stink bug discovery. The vessel dubbed the MV Morning Composer was initially due to call at Fremantle on 26 November 2018, however inspections found both live and dead stink bugs on board.

In a statement to customers, ship operator Wallenius Wilhelmsen Ocean said the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources(DAWR) had issued a written directive for the vessel to depart Australian waters and for all cargo to undergo treatment prior to delivery.

The statement from Wallenius Wilhelmsen Ocean said it had worked closely with Australian Authorities and takes seriously its responsibilities to ensure pests are not transported to Australia. “Part of this responsibility is monitoring and inspection on board the vessel for possible biosecurity risks,” the company stated. “Ensuring biosecurity compliance is the responsibility of the importer, and at the same time the presentation of clean cargo at the port of load is, at all times, the responsibility of the shipper.”

Costs associated with the vessel deviation, treatment and return of cargoes to Australia are to be shared between WW Ocean and cargo owners.

“WW Ocean would like to express its sincere regret at this situation, which has occurred outside of our control and despite our best efforts to mitigate,” WWO stated. “Despite adherence to all rules and regulations, contaminated cargo has been presented for shipment and loaded, triggering the severe disruption to Morning Composer’s voyage. We fully recognise the impact on our customers supply chains and business resulting from this significant delay.”

The vessel is now on its way to Bintan in Indonesia.

Biosecurity and Australian Border Force (ABF) officers at Brisbane Airport recently intercepted two live squirrels, allegedly smuggled in by an Australian national returning from Bali.

After information about the traveller was received through Border Watch, ABF officers approached the man at the airport and located the squirrels.

Head of Biosecurity Operations at the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, Nico Padovan, was astounded at the individual's brazen attempt to smuggle live squirrels back into the country, putting the nation’s fauna and human health at risk. “The fact that this passenger would intentionally breach our biosecurity conditions and put our country at risk is unbelievable,” Mr Padovan said. “Live animals from overseas can carry a range of serious diseases that are dangerous for Australian animals as well as humans. Squirrels can carry rabies — which is present in Bali — and if this disease was to arrive here, the toll on human and animal health would be huge. Every year more than 60,000 people worldwide die from rabies. Biosecurity is no joke and the passenger is now subject to an investigation and could face a range of serious penalties, including criminal prosecution," he said.

ABF Regional Commander Queensland, Terry Price, said the ABF is committed to protecting both Australian and international wildlife. “Given Australia’s famed, unique and fragile biodiversity, it is crucial that we do all we can at the border to stop animals from entering Australia that may constitute a disease or other threat,” Regional Commander Price said. “Furthermore, the smuggling of wildlife is not only illegal but also very cruel and inhumane, with animals often smuggled for extended periods of time without sustenance and in confined space.”

Both squirrels were euthanised due to biosecurity concerns.

The maximum penalty for the biosecurity offences is up to 5 years imprisonment, fines of up to $63,000, or both. The maximum penalty for wildlife trade offences under Australian law is 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $210,000 for individuals or up to $1,050,000 for corporations.

Some one liners for Christmas!

I asked my wife what she wanted for Christmas. She told me "Nothing would make her happier than a diamond necklace" So I bought her nothing.

There's nothing like the joy on a kid's face when he first sees the PlayStation box containing the socks I got him for Christmas.

The 3 stages of man: He believes in Santa Claus. He doesn't believe in Santa Claus. He is Santa Claus.

I bought my son a fridge for Christmas. – I can't wait to see his face light up when he opens it.

Who is never hungry at Christmas? The turkey - he's always stuffed!

What's red and white, red and white, red and white? Santa rolling off your roof.