synthie

We're in the last two weeks before shipping and realise that some of our stuff we thought we'd sell and leave here is not finding buyers - at least to anywhere decent prices and I'm not greedy.
We have a glass fronted cupboard made of recycled boat wood (Sheesham) out of India. Bought it in Germany and it looks 'industrial made'. I'm pretty sure that it was treated before being sold but don't have proof, here's a picture.


Basically we're now fed up and thinking of taking it with us declaring it, not sure how that works, yet.
Now, can anyone tell me, how much it's likely to cost if we were to have to pay for fumigation? I tried to find out on the MPI site but no luck.
We also have a driftwood sculpture, about 60 cm high we may want to take with us as well , would that be similar fumigation costs? I'd rather ditch the sculpture than the furniture though.

Thanks for your help in advance!

jmh

I had a bike and a rug steam cleaned by MAF contractors - cost $NZ400 in 2011. Not sure if that helps.

synthie

Argh. Yes, that gives me a ballpark number, not one that I like but I reckon that's my problem. Thanks.

maquis

Check with your shipping company. I had a surveyor in here last week and he said that things like wicker or woven baskets, driftwood furniture, would be destroyed. Whether there's a cost involved, I don't know!

scrubbedexpat094

I brought wicker and woven baskets in with no problem at all. It was clearly labelled as such. Not convinced that some of these people actually know the rules from country to country.

maquis

Will be interesting to see what the others say that are coming this week! I'll make sure and ask

BEVS

We also brought wicker baskets in with no problem.

Big Sticks is correct. It is best to not rely on what shipping company employees say. Look for yourself and contact MAF to ask.

I know someone who binned their feather duvets on advice from a shipper.

It will not be the wicker baskets. It might be what you used the wicker basket for though.

We brought in the wicker, duvets, work boots and tools, an old shipwrights tool box that had old woodworm holes and which had been treated .

We declared anything we thought needed to be via their list and form stating what had been cleaned with jeyes fluid etc.

Our container was not even opened for inspection & much of the old rubbish we really wish now that we hadn't bothered bringing is still sitting on our garage looking at us.

Lisa Maree

We were told by the shipping companies not to risk any type of wicker / woven baskets... and this was in regards to the storage boxes for our IKEA kallax unit that are practically new and only ever stored toys in.

The frustrating part was they say MAF will charge you to fumigate OR to dispose of them, so even if you get there and they say $200 to spray its likely to cost a fair whack to get them thrown away!!

synthie

Thanks Lisa and all. We decided to sell the furniture to avoid all these problems. Pity but can't be helped.

BEVS

What a pile of rubbish & cobblers.

As stated, it is fine to bring this stuff in. The BEST place to check is with MAF itself.

Honestly. I have to wonder at some of the people the shipping companies employ. They need to train them properly.

Can be helped. Talk to MAF NZ.

escapedtonz

We brought a number of wicker items, wooden items and a driftwood mirror. Didn't have to have anything fumigated but there is a cost for MPI just to come out and check items they are interested in.
We had 35 boxes ordered to be put aside - only to be opened by an MPI officer. That in itself cost $440. All they found was a few bits of dead grass on a tent I'd forgotten to clean so they had it washed by the removals company - another $70.
License to print money!

simonsi

Nope, its called biosecurity and it helps keep NZ looking how it does with hopefully no more damaging flora coming in - fauna is pretty much taken care of, if we can keep Johnny Depp out it seems...

South coast of England is virtually taken over by a Japanese seaweed that is pushing out the native seaweed, its that kind of issue MAF is trying to prevent.

BEVS

Let's start with Rocksnot and I could go on at length.

NZ is absolutely not OK in this respect. There is more out there than is broadcast and in more ways that flora and fauna.

It is the horse and stable door really but big sounds to make it seem not so.

Kotare

At least they are making an effort Bevs which is better than the 'open house' in the UK/EU

simonsi

Hence "no more". And tbh NZ is no worse than many other countries in realising the importance of biosecurity later than ideal. And it is always worth preventing more species coming in, each individual species is a different potential level of threat.