Victorian Boaters Walloped With Heavy New Fees
Victorian boaters could be hit hard by new marine regulations which would impose a minimum $643 cost on anyone wanting to obtain a recreational boat license, $1180 cost for waterskiing and PWC licenses, and a dramatic increase in fines for recreational boaters on the water, said the Boating Industry Association of Victoria (BIAV) on Friday.
The BIAV announced that the new regulations have been made hastily and in vain, and believes the Department of Transport’s safety argument is misleading and one-sided. As an example it cited the Department's alleged use of irrelevant safety data to legitimise the new regulations — including the number of incidents involving surfers.
The BIAV says the community consultation process was rushed, and called for the Minister of Ports to extend the consultation period until relevant information could be read and understood by recreational boaters. According to teh BIAV, the Minister refused to do so.
Visit www.biavic.com.au to view the new regulations fact sheet, and use the online submission form to give the Minister your two cents worth before the October 11 deadline.