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Boat Licences, Fees Needs Urgent Review: NationalsThe Nationals are seeking a more consistent and equitable system of boat licences and fees in Victoria, because of concerns that there are still glaring anomalies between owners and those hiring boats. By Peter Hall - 30th March 2005 - Back to News Gippsland MP Peter Hall told Parliament this week that people hiring boats with a speed capacity of less than 10 knots did not require a licence.
However boat owners, even those with a boat of speeds under 10 knots, needed to be licensed.
Mr Hall told Parliament it was "an almost ironic anomaly" that boat owners experienced in operating boats were required to demonstrate that experience by obtaining a licence, but a one-off user who hired a boat did not have to demonstrate any competence and did not require any licence.
The Nationals have now called on the Government to implement a system whereby all people who own and operate craft with a speed capacity of less than 10 knots do not require a licence.
Mr Hall has also called on the Minister for Transport to investigate a change to the current method of charging boat licence fees, to reduce or eliminate an annual charge. He raised the issue in Parliament following correspondence from a constituent.
Mr Hall said the issue of licences and fees had quite a long history and had never been satisfactorily resolved. In November 2000 the Marine (Amendment) Bill introduced the concept of a boat operator’s licence in Victoria.
"During the course of the debate on that bill The Nationals expressed concern about the lack of uniform laws for boat operators licences across borders, in that New South Wales and Victoria had different requirements for obtaining a licence.
"We also raised the issues relating to people who operated hire boats because they did not require a licence."
In December 2001 there was an amendment to the Marine Act, which put in place a requirement that so long as the boat hired had a speed capacity of less than 10 knots, the hirer did not require a boat licence.
"There is still an anomalous situation where some users of hire boats do not require a licence but owners of boats do require a licence."
Mr Hall said there was also concern that the introduction of an annual fee for the renewal of a licence was just a revenue-raising racket.
"My constituent suggests that we should keep the standard charge and test but make it a one-off charge, so that once people have sat the test and have a licence it is a licence for life, and he also suggests that should be applied to all users of boats, both owners and hirers." Mr Hall said The Nationals supported the view that there should be uniformity and rules that apply equally to all and has called on the Minister to again review the situation.
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
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