Victorian boat launching facilities a joke!

We need your help!

BIA (Boating Industry of Victoria)  needs your help!

To improve Victorian Recreational Boating Infrastructure

Since 1961 successive State Governments have collected fees from Recreational Boaters for the purpose of funding boat ramps. This has reached the point that boaters are now being charged registration fees, licensing fees, Boating Safety and Facilities fee, launching / parking fees, taxes on outboard fuels and other general taxes. Contributing approximately $30 million to state coffers.
For too long not enough of these funds have been invested back in maintaining, developing and managing recreational trailer boat infrastructure.
The Boating Industry Association of Victoria has continually told Government that trailer boat ramps and parking facilities are not adequate to meet the existing demand let alone any future growth in boating.
We believe it is not good enough and boaters are fed up. We now need boaters themselves to give the Minister a very clear message that the Victorian Boating community needs better facilities.
A snap shot of the problem around Port Phillip and Western Port Bay.
Less than 3% of the recreational boaters can launch on any single day!

• 172,000 registered recreational vessels in Victoria (Sept 30th 2013)
• 98% of all registered vessels are trailer boats
• 68% of the registered trailer boats use Port Phillip and Westernport Bay
• 140,000 recreational vessels (registered/non registered) use Port Phillip & Western Port Bays
• Less than 3,000 car trailer unit spaces are provided at metropolitan boat ramps (i.e. WP & PP Bays)
• Therefore any more than 3% want to go boating and we have gridlock and mayhem.

How much is collected from boaters and how much is spent?
In 2011-12 the government collected approx. $30 million dollars in fees directly from boaters
• This includes $10 Million dollars for the Boating Safety and Facilities Program fee
• The State Government spent $2.64 Million dollars last year under the Infrastructure category of the Boating Safety &Facilities Program (BS&FP).

Section 312 Marine Safety Act directs that the BS&FP fee must be collected, must be spent by the Minister and MUST be spent on boat ramps. This is the same law that the State Coalition Government changed last year to give recreational boaters $700 penalty infringement fines. But they can ignore their own law!

Let the Minister know your views.

The Hon David Hodgett – Minister for Ports
Email Address: david.hodgett@parliament.vic.gov.au

Ministerial Office
Address 36/121 Exhibition St, Melbourne, VIC 3000
Phone (03) 9653 9700
Fax (03) 9653 9850
Web Site: www.davidhodgett.com.au

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