The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) has issued an industry notice warning of scheduled maintenance across multiple bio-security IT systems from the evening of 15 July through 16 July 2026. The outage affects the Cargo Online Lodgement System (COLS), the Biosecurity Portal and the Entry Processing and Billing System (PEBS). While passenger SmartGate services are unaffected, logistics providers say delays in processing import permits and inspection bookings could cascade into hold-ups for time-sensitive air-freight, including pharmaceuticals and mining spares. DAFF has advised brokers to lodge entries early and to monitor email alerts for staggered service restoration. The advisory is part of a broader modernisation programme aimed at consolidating 14 legacy systems into a cloud-hosted platform by 2028. Recent consultation papers flagged plans to integrate cargo data with Passenger Name Records, giving officials a single risk picture of people and goods entering Australia. Global mobility teams relocating staff with unaccompanied personal effects should factor in potential clearance slippage of 24–48 hours if consignments arrive during the maintenance window. DAFF says urgent human-health consignments will be manually processed. The department’s hotline (1800 900 090) will operate extended hours during the outage.
