Boating Western Australia Inc.
11 Years of service to the
Western Australian Boating Public
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Mission Statement BoatingWA
e-mail; secretary@boatingwa.com.au
Office
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What are the facts on Compulsory training in WA? In August 2003 the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure announced the Government’s intention to introduce a regime for compulsory competency training for recreational boaters in line with: the Guidelines for Recreational Boat Operator Competencies agreed by the Australian Transport Council in 2000; and the National Marine Safety Council’s Principles for a Common National Standard for Recreational Boat Operator Licences. In March 2004 the Minister sent a letter to all registered recreational boaters outlining the following guiding principles that should be applied to the training regime: Any training should be a minimal level required to gain the
basic skills and knowledge; Fees are to be kept to the minimum and would be limited to cost recovery only. There would be no mechanism for revenue raising; The existing BoatSmart course and the more advanced courses such as TL3 and TL5 are all suitable training courses and would meet the requirements for training; and The scheme needs to be implemented gradually over a number of years. Specific QuestionsHow much will this cost me? The exact fees that will be set by the Department are yet to be determined but will be based on covering the cost of administering the Scheme. They will be kept to a minimum and will simply cover costs. The Minister has stated publicly that this is not a revenue raising exercise. The current costs of suitable training courses are set by the market and therefore vary according to the provider and the type of course. The Government will not make any money from these courses. Such courses include: Is this a licence? How much will it cost me each year? This Scheme is about ensuring every recreational boater meets a minimum level of competency to be safe out on the water. We will need to record who has done the training to ensure our Marine Officers on the water know who is and who isn’t trained. Over the next few months we will be working out the best and most cost effective way of doing this to ensure costs for recreational boaters are kept to a minimum. The exact fees that will be set by the Department are yet to be determined but will be based on covering the cost of administering the Scheme. They will be kept to a minimum and will simply cover costs. The Minister has stated publicly that this is not a revenue raising exercise. I have been boating for years, will I have do a training course? The Department recognises that there are a lot of people out there who have a lot of experience and we want to ensure we have an appropriate process to assess the prior learning and experience of experienced boaters. The details of how this will happen will be developed over the next few months. The Minister has requested we look at developing a process for experienced boaters who have held a boat registration for 5 years or more. She has also requested feedback from all registered recreational boaters on this issue through a mail out survey. What will be the timeframe for introduction? When will I have to comply with this? The final implementation timeframe will be developed in the coming months. We are looking at a staggered approach over a three to five year timeframe to ensure all recreational boaters have ample opportunity to comply. I already have BoatSmart, TL3, TL5, or any commercial marine skipper’s qualifications. What will I need to do? The Department believes that people who have already passed a course such as BoatSmart, Yachting Australia’s TL3 or TL5, or any commercial marine skipper’s qualifications will automatically qualify for a Boat Operators Endorsement. Once a process has been developed we will let you know what you will need to do to confirm your qualifications. Why do we have to do this? What is the point of this? How will it improve safety? This Scheme is an opportunity for all skippers to become better trained and better prepared for the time they spend on the water. It is about ensuring every recreational boater has the confidence in the abilities of their skipper to be safe out on the water. Currently, on average five lives are lost each year in this State in marine related incidents and last year there were more than 1300 sea search and rescues undertaken – representing a significant cost to the community. You may have had a first hand encounter with boats being operated in an unsafe way. We believe a good step towards reducing these incidents is to ensure every recreational boater meets a minimum level of competency. The minimum level of competency that we will be expecting is in the National Marine Safety Committee’s “Guidelines for Recreational Boat Operator Competencies”. These were endorsed by the Australian Transport Council in 2000 and were developed after extensive Australia wide consultation with a people from recreational boating groups, search and rescue bodies, marine agencies, boating safety trainers, boat manufacturers and distributors, and individuals with an interest in recreational boating. What course/s will I have to do? I have done a training course through my Yacht Club/ Surf Life Saving Club / other Club, will that count? We will be expecting recreational boaters to meet the minimum competencies as described in the National Marine Safety Committee’s Guidelines for Recreational Boat Operator Competencies. These were endorsed by the Australian Transport Council in 2000 and were developed after extensive Australia wide consultation with a people from recreational boating groups, search and rescue bodies, marine agencies, boating safety trainers, boat manufacturers and distributors, and individuals with an interest in recreational boating. Existing courses that we believe meet or exceed these competencies are:
Over the next few months, DPI will be developing a clear list and guidelines as to what courses are approved and a process for approval of courses. Once this has been finalised we will make the information available to all recreational boaters. Do I have to be a certain age? Will there be any restrictions for young people? What will they be? The National Marine Safety Committee’s Guidance Manual Principles for a Common National Standard for Recreational Boat Operator Licences recommends that people between 12 and 16 years old who have demonstrated they meet a minimum level of competency be restricted in their use of a boat if they are on their own or there are no suitably qualified adults present. There are a range of potential restrictions that we will be examining, including restricting hours of operation, vessel size, speed and engine capacity. The details of the restrictions will be developed over the next few months once they have been finalised we will make the information available to all recreational boaters. Where can I do a course? You can find details of where these courses are run and by whom by clicking on the following links. · DPI’s BoatSmart Boating Safety Course · Yachting Australia’s National Powerboat Scheme (TL3) and · Yachting Australia’s National Motor Cruising Scheme (TL5)
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