I thought I'd bring this up as I know there's an avid fishing community amongst us water-lovers here on seabreeze...and unless you're an active member of a Vic fishing club, you won't have heard about this!

The Vic. Government (in their wisdom) are trying to get one under the radar and we need support...NOW!

In short, boats under 4.8m will not be able to leave local harbours (ours is about 1 sq kilometre), this would mean that it is illegal to launch a tinny from a beach ramp to have a fish along the coast anywhere outside Pt Phillip Bay, or similar enclosed bays (small boats are generally the most practical boat to beach-launch).

Also, as a jetski is a 'powered vessel' by boating laws - and well under 4.8m, this means that they will be banned from the coastline, and only be permitted in 'enclosed waterways'!!!

This would either mean that;

(for the jetski owners), their activity would be limited not only by the enclosed waterways, but also by current distances from swimmers etc...combined with the fact that they'll be congregating in small areas = accidents waiting to happen & water rage...

(for the poleys & teabaggers) we'll have to share our sailing grounds not only with each other, but with thousands of pissed-off jetski riders!

4.9 - 8m won't be allowed to reach the tuna fishing grounds (apart from a small handfull of tourists, no local recreational fishers that I know of have a boat >8m!!!)

This would also mean that in the same year that saw our local town 'Portland' named as one of Australia's best fishing spots thanks to the last couple of fantastic tuna fishing seasons...it would become a ghost-town during the tuna season due to no-one, apart from wealthy keen fishers, can afford an 8m boat! Additionally...some that own boats <8m will be trading them in (for sub-market value due to the influx of trade-ins) and purchasing old/dangerous 8m vessels, unless they have a spare $100k to buy one that is relatively new...


Here's a little extract from the 'Dept. of transport'

Unsuitable vessels would be prevented from operating in coastal waters. In the absence of information about design standards, vessel
length could be the determining factor in setting limits.

Two possible approaches are set out below.
Recreational vessel Restriction Length 0 - 4.8m Limited to enclosed waters
Length 4.9 - 8m Limited to 20nm offshore, (37km) and must have a VHF radio
and be within VHF radio
range of a shore station
Length over 8m Unlimited
OR
Recreational vessel Restriction
Length 0 - 4.8m Limited to enclosed waters
and 2nm offshore in coastal
waters. This acknowledges
the current 2nm 'within visual
range' limit for not being
required to carry EPIRBs
and radios.
Length 4.9 - 8m Limited to 20nm offshore, and must have a VHF radio
and be within VHF radio
range of a shore station
Length over 8m Unlimited

more reading on the following pages

www.fishnet.com.au/forums/viewtopic.php?t=92409&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0&f=7

read under the first few photos of tuna...
http://www.wildblue.com.au/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=39

For you guys on the other side of our country that 'love to dangle a line', and are suffering with the new license laws...we need your help too, as the government are attempting to make boating laws national!

Is this for powered boats only? If not, what impact on kayaks, surf skis etc?

I have not opened your links and am presuming it is only for powered boats but felt it worth the question, if not the research!

I would rather be in a 5.0 m boat 50km offshore with someone who knows what they are doing that be in an 8m boat 50km offshore that is skippered by a retard that has no idea!!!

more revenue raising from the nanny state

Soon we will have to have rego for surf boards, under 7ft $800 a year ova 7ft $900 a year. This sort of stuff is so stupid, at least ova in WA you just need a skippers ticket to pilot a vessel, even that is not really a valid test of skills.

Some good news...just received an email saying that they're dropping the boat length restriction due to "overwhelming rejection" of the proposal....a snippet below.

"Almost all comments and submissions received to date are against the option of imposing restrictions, according to the length of the vessel, on where recreational boats can go (option 7.1 in the Departmental discussion paper Improving marine safety in Victoria).

This option was overwhelmingly rejected by more than 350 people who attended Departmental information sessions at Portland, Warrnambool and Geelong this month. It is also strongly opposed in more than 130 of approximately 150 written submissions received to date.

Key arguments against length-based restrictions have included the
following:
A range of factors determine the level of protection afforded to a
recreational vessel in open waters (not just length).
Experienced fishermen have developed many ways to successfully
mitigate risk in open waters.
The problem is limited to operators who are inexperienced or
unfamiliar with the local environs.
Additional costs would be imposed on recreational boaters, the
regulator and enforcement agencies, and these costs would be likely
to outweigh any benefits.
There are more cost effective options to improve safety in offshore
environs.

As a result, the review team will not be further considering the option of restrictions based on the length of the vessel. (woo-hoo!)
It is important to emphasise, however, that many stakeholders support the need for new strategies and measures to improve recreational boating safety in open waters.

The review team will now focus on the alternative strategies and measures that have been receiving support. This includes the alternative option in the discussion paper: an improved ‘safety net’ through investment in the distress communications network and search and rescue capability, funded by either a levy on registration or a user pays system.

Alternative options put forward to date include:
Developing offshore boating education programs covering local
conditions and general safety issues
Requiring additional safety equipment on board recreational vessels
in open waters
Broadening the recreational licensing requirements in relation to
certain higher risk activities such as operations in offshore
environs."

It seems that if you make enough noise...the gov't listens!

It's ok big fella...the battle was won on this account...

...the war is still going.