Lampson cleans up with quarantine washing and export packing

Importing equipment into Australia can be a difficult venture and if the ports are experiencing delays this can adversely increase release timing and the overall cost of shipping.

To add another level to this process, to protect our country’s industries and our quality of life, the level of cleaning required to pass through Australian Quarantine is one of the highest in the world.

Pre-import cleaning will not always guarantee a first time pass and that is when equipment is forwarded to an Australian quarantine approved arrangement.

Providers are located nearby to Ports for this situation and heavy lift and transport company Lampson Australia Pty Ltd has been providing this service since the early 90’s in Newcastle, NSW.

Lampson is best known for heavy lift cranes and oversized transport and along with these services the company maintains a quarantine wash bay.

This approved arrangement has been in operation since the early 1990’s to assist with the import cleaning of trucks, trailers and cranes, under arrangement reference N1111.

With ever increasing delays at east coast ports, Lampson have witnessed an increase in equipment imported or exported through the Port of Newcastle.

Lampson has provided services to several clients already in 2025 and have the capacity to deal with multiple consignments as well as storage areas or dry locations for quarantine inspection.

Export preparation and packing of large items such as earthworks or construction equipment along with all the necessary lifting equipment and transport to or from the port on floats or platform trailers are available.

Cleaning of used equipment for shipping requires close attention to indicators of any foreign material such as soil, plant matter, dust or insects.

Quarantine inspectors from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry are meticulous and look far beyond a “dulux overhaul”.

Used earthmoving equipment commonly has layers of spiral wrapping that conceal soil and dust. Air filters are another hot spot for trapped material along with hydraulic line burst protection, cable trays, radiators, track pads, greased items and cabin lining.

Foreign material carried in imported equipment can pose a biosecurity risk to the country so these parts must be cleaned, any material removed and then treated by certified waste management providers.

Once the equipment is cleaned to the required level, inspectors are notified and will attend the approved arrangement premises.

On occasion, additional disassembly is required to allow better access or deeper inspection and washing to remove foreign material to as-new conditions.

Upon clearance by DAFF the equipment can be stored at Lampson’s facility until ready for transport.

The provision of the quarantine service compliments the lifting, transport and mining industry and allows Lampson to provide further services to importers, exporters and freight forwarding clients.