[NM]

Originally Posted by econgdon

they have also discontinued insecticide in arriving planes..

No, they have not discontinued that process. They just now give the operating airline a choice as to how the insecticide is applied. They can spray the aircraft with a persistent insecticide that last for several months, or they can spray the cabin prior to arrival using hand-held cans of approved insecticide. Most airlines flying to Australia now choose to spray the persistent insecticide during maintenance periods and only operate treated aircraft to Australia. If they substitute a non-treated aircraft for a flight to Australia, they still have to spray the cabin. It is taken very seriously by AQIS.

[JohnK]

Originally Posted by serfty

Arriving back in SYD from HKG in the Early hours (QF128) last April it took 1 minute to get through SmartGate and 45 minutes to get x-rayed and out. We had no checked luggage.

OK, so by the sounds of it this is not a new issue but one that has been around for a while.

I am glad that most of my arrivals into SYD have been hassle free and I hope that any future arrivals are as hassle free as the previous arrivals.

[ethernet]

The science of queue arrivals and waiting times has LONG been known. As a guess, the roster of quarantine staff is probably known 2 weeks in advance. The pre-screen arrivals, so they know exactly the 'demand'.

Putting aside all their ITIL crap, AQIS could post a histogram, say weekly, by the hour, of processing wait times, and justify the ugly 'first' impression of the arrival hall. Serfty is correct about peak times, this is no secret, nor is anyone complaining too much about customs - what is being done about the bottleneck?

One suspects
1) Not enough x-ray machines, or they have been 'borrowed' for elsewhere
2) Being scabby on resources - is it a money problem?
3) Incompetance - do they have their heads in the sand?
4) Not wanting to pay 'rent' since they sold the airport

Solution: Alter curfew times - a bigger window will help
or Lower the quality of service (QOS).

Maybe Chaser can unfurl a banner 'Welcone to Royal Northshore Mk2' in the arrivals hall .

Longer term air traffic is GROWING, so they will have to do something, as well as do something about getting to the airport , and stop clogging things up by allowing shopping centre development.

[econgdon]

try Melbourne !!! You will be unpleasantly surprised

[econgdon]

Originally Posted by NM

No, they have not discontinued that process. They just now give the operating airline a choice as to how the insecticide is applied. They can spray the aircraft with a persistent insecticide that last for several months, or they can spray the cabin prior to arrival using hand-held cans of approved insecticide. Most airlines flying to Australia now choose to spray the persistent insecticide during maintenance periods and only operate treated aircraft to Australia. If they substitute a non-treated aircraft for a flight to Australia, they still have to spray the cabin. It is taken very seriously by AQIS.

Well I think its very inconsistent.. I was driving around Melbourne and saw an obvious Bumble bee.. it must have come from Tasmania in freight. I opened my suitcase in Hobart after returning from Thailand recently .. what looked like a flying ant crawled out (often Queens). I squashed it obviously. How much stuff comes in in freight etc. Melb and now I notiice Hobart seem to be getting big fat cockroaches which I do not remember as a boy ...

And its worrysome they the authorities do not so serious about creating vacines in Australia as they are about overseas contamination by imports. I note our horse flue vaccines had to be shipped from France with great fanfare. No one mentioned during the delay what we would do if there was a human internationl pandemick !! Would others be so generous ??

[Reggie]

I got to New Zealand and opened my case and found not one snake, but a whole bag. I then proceded to break the backs of each of them by stretching them from head and tail and eating them. Thankyou Allens

[bambbbam2]

Originally Posted by Reggie

Thankyou Allens

But they just don't taste as good anymore.. since they went - ugh - artificial flavour free, they taste not as good.

[simongr]

Originally Posted by serfty

Arriving back in SYD from HKG in the Early hours (QF128) last April it took 1 minute to get through SmartGate and 45 minutes to get x-rayed and out. We had no checked luggage.

QF82 arriving at 12:30PM - baggage hall empty - very unusual sight...

[Oneworldplus2]

Took more than 1 hour to get through customs on Saturday morning. Sydney Int.
What a joke.
Only 3 x-rays online and seemed to me like 10 plane loads all came at once.

[Harpoon]

Slighty off topic (sorry)...

In regards to getting the 'fast passage' green stamp on your arrival card to bypass xrays in customs, I seem to ALWAYS get this. Do they approach people who look innocent??? Or have I just been lucky? By the way I usually have nothing to declare either which helps...

Once I was travelling with a colleague on the way back from Noumea. They walked up to us both, green stamped me and I walked through but he had to go through the xray etc.

Luck or....?