CUSTOMS Minister Chris Ellison was last night considering shutting down the new $250million computer system at Australia’s major sea freight terminals as delays in shifting goods plunged ports into chaos.

Senator Ellison is holding crisis talks with industry representatives and major importers to overcome the massive bottlenecks that have brought the nation’s ports to a grinding halt.

He will decide by midday today whether ports will switch back to the old system or not.

Just two months out from Christmas, and with importers and retailers on the verge of their biggest period of the year, containers full of everything from toys to white goods, computers, pharmaceuticals and even urgent medical supplies are mounting up in warehouses, air terminals and on wharves.

NSW Ports Minister Eric Roozendaal said at least 13 ships were likely to be turned away from Sydney’s Port Botany over the next few days.

Delays caused by the “Integrated Cargo System” — introduced last week despite predictions of chaos — are causing enormous aggravation among customs brokers, freight forwarders and major importers, such as Coles Myer.

“I’ve told Customs all stops have to be pulled out to fix this problem,” Senator Ellison said yesterday.

Continued — Page 2

From Page 1

“If Customs is not able to address (the problems) we’ll roll back the system,” the minister said.

Senator Ellison said if Customs did go back to the old system there would be “no timeline” to reintroduce the new software. “We’ll (wait) on implementing it until we think we’re ready.”

The switch back to the old system affects only sea cargo, with air freight staying with the new system. Senator Ellison denied ships were about to be turned back.

“There is no question of any vessel being turned back.”

Opposition Customs spokesman Joe Ludwig described the new system as a “disaster”.

“Why has the minister left Australian industry unprepared to use what Customs itself describes as one of the largest e-government projects ever undertaken in Australia?” he said.

The $250million project, originally planned for 2003, is a highly complex piece of software allowing brokers and freight forwarders to clear their goods through Customs electronically. It replaces a 20- year-old system.

It enables the federal police, Customs and the quarantine service to profile importers and follow each item brought into Australia.

Peter Levett, co-owner of wholesale air freight forwarder UAC, said the new system had created chaos. “We normally process 300 imports a day, and are lucky to be doing 100,” he said. “We are backing up 200 shipments a day.”

The imports not being cleared are clogging the company’s warehouses. Even an urgent blood sample from a patient in Norfolk Island was delayed.

Small importers — from CD wholesalers to computer keyboard companies — are screaming for their goods, while Coles admitted feeling the effects.