The Boating Industry Association of Victoria (BIAV) today announced support for the State’s Marine Safety Regulations 2012 which are set to come into effect on July 1, 2012.
BIAV President Andrew Warner says the government has kept their word on reducing the level of regulatory burden that recreational boaters would face under new regulations.
Mr Warner says the government has listened to boaters and now got the balance right. The Marine Safety Regulations 2012 and increased on-the-spot fines will put the spotlight clearly on boating safety. Boaters simply cannot afford to be complacent about marine safety from here on.
The regulations contain a number of important changes that recreational boaters will urgently need to be familiar with before they hit the water this coming season.
Boat owners will now have to ensure they’ve carried out proper maintenance of their boats. They can face quite expensive penalty infringements if they don’t comply and are pulled up by marine authorities.
Penalty Infringements include:
• ‘on the spot’ tickets for failure to wear a life jacket will double to $281.68 • ‘on the spot’ tickets for forgetting to renew boat registration will rise to $704.20 • $140.84 ‘on the spot’ parking tickets for boaters on the water • ‘on the spot’ tickets for a flat torch battery will rise to $176.05 • $281.68 ‘on the spot’ tickets for a leaking hull.
You can view the new Victorian regulations and penalties on the following website: www.biavic.com.au
