Boaties Furious About Tinny Tax Cash Grab

[mrmoshe]

Boaties furious about tinny tax cash grab

The NSW Government has been accused of a cash grab over a new tax on all boat users to fund marine rescue services that don't cover large areas of the state.

Boat owners are furious that all 450,000 NSW licence holders will be hit with the levy regardless of whether they use coastal waterways covered by the newly formed Marine Rescue NSW or inland waterways such as the Murray and Nepean rivers and Snowy Mountains dams that have no volunteer rescue services.

Boat licences will rise from $43 to $50.50 a year as a result of the levy and registering ''tinnies'' - boats shorter than six metres, which make up 92 per cent of all water craft in NSW - will rise from $92 to $99.50 if the plan by Ports Minister Paul McLeay is adopted.

The new charges will raise more than $6 million a year in extra revenue for NSW Treasury. The Boat Owners' Association of NSW (BOA) is concerned that not all of the money will fund rescue operations.

Marine Rescue and its 2500 members currently survive on $1.4 million in funding from the state government.

BOA president Michael Chapman said boat owners should not be forced to pay extra until Marine Rescue NSW has had its membership and operating model brought up to the standard of successful organisations such as the Surf Lifesaving Service or the Rural Fire Service.

Marine Rescue, which is the amalgamation of three volunteer rescue services, has an ageing membership and few plans to transform itself.

''The model [for the levy] is based on false premises, it hasn't been well thought out. It's like the state government taking over NRMA but only serving vehicles in coastal areas,'' Mr Chapman said. ''It's too early, there's no transparency and no accountability. There's only one reason it's being pushed through so early: money.''

Cardiff resident George Hopkins, who fishes from his 3.6-metre tinny on Lake Macquarie every weekend, said the new levy was more ''money grubbing'' by the state government.

''In my experience, if there's any trouble the MSB will give you a tow. This is just another tax right when electricity and everything else is going up,'' he said.

Nationals Leader Andrew Stoner said boaties should make their voices heard.

''Whether it's the monstrous tax on car registrations, the sneaky new tax on home buyers or the skyrocketing power prices, people are sick of having to foot the bill for state Labor's failures,'' Mr Stoner said.

[Jewhunter]

Thanks for that Pete.

It's just another cash grab from a government that has no chance of balancing it's books.

Of course, we are the ones that pay.

I was led to believe that a Labour government was supposed to be for the working class.

Obviously because we own a boat we are now upper class & have to pay for the priviledge.

With this new tax & their locking us out of our fishing spots to gain the green vote I wonder how many of us will give them our vote at the next election?

Cheers,

Grant.

[gummybusta]

thanks for that as i don't alwasy read the news

couldn't agree more as i'm one that owns a river only bass style of boat that would have to pay now for something i will never need or use with this boat

even when i had a outside boat i already was a member of a VMR group that paid for my registaion ($25/year) where i got a number and they had my details at hand even then i still do and will donate to them once a year

[Trapper Tom]

Stinks!

And like it will really go to marine rescue.

It'll just get swallowed into consolidated revenue and thats the last we will ever see of it.

Cheers

Trapper Tom

[Catchin Jack]

Disgusting money grab by the government as usual.

I'm also in the RFS, we have to fund raise and get crap financially from the government, maybe they should put a tax on everyone for our service haha.

If government took pay cuts and let go of half their perks there would be heaps of money around.

Cheers,

Leo

[Yeeros]

Ok guys stop complaining and make a change

Here is what fisherman and friends of fisherman can do to stop this. Forget about mass petititions from all over the state. They don’t work as we have all found out.

To influence the minister to not bring in this new money grabber it will come down to the people in his municipality to make the difference. They are the ministers constituents which means that he cares more about what 10 of them say than what 1000 others from the state say.

If you live in the Heathcote area which is from Bulli to Bundeena and Heathcote your man Paul Mcleahy is going to be the one putting signature to paper. Here is a link to the area http://www.paulmcleay.com.au/About

So in effect it's going to fall on your shoulders to put a stop to this plan for the whole state!

Big ask but I'm sure you and your local friends are up to it.

To have an effect the minister needs to know that this issue will affect his personal re-election. If he gets 10,000 letters from people all over the state he will not care, they won’t be voting for him. But if he gets voters from his local area sending letters and even better seeing him in person to raise their objections he won’t be taking this action.

His address is below

Shops 1 & 2

17 - 23 Station Street

Engadine NSW 2233

What you need to do is go there, by yourself or with your friends and ask to speak to him about your concerns, be civilized by all means though guys. Let him know that if he votes on this issue you will vote against him in the next election. Make it known to him that your family and friends will also vote the same.

This is the best way to lobby the minister responsible. Guys if you know anybody in the municipality call them up and let them know. If you don’t own a boat and live in that area please still go. In the future land based fisherman might need the support of boaters and we should all work together.

It’s only by standing together that we can stand up for our rights. To win this particular fight the members of Heathcote are going to need to step up.

[Citypainter]

Stinks!

And like it will really go to marine rescue.

It'll just get swallowed into consolidated revenue and thats the last we will ever see of it.

Cheers

Trapper Tom

Dead right Tom.

This Government couldn't run a fish raffle in a Co-Op.

No surprises here.

There is no Opposition party either.

What are the shadow ministers doing???

Nothing

[Yeeros]

Guys don't worry about what others are doing.

Worry about what we are doing, or more importantly, not doing!

If we don't get off our own butts and lobby hard for ALL of our rights relating to our sport how can we expect others like the opposition to do it for us.

The opposition aren't in government, they also don't have the numbers to stop a law as the greens are in bed with labor and will vote side by side with them on this.

If you don't like politics and politicians thats up to you.

But if you don't fight for your rights by playing the game properly and fighting hard where it counts we will pay more dearly than this.

Has anybody from the local area of Paul Mcleahy gone to visit him? I'm sure some have as they care for their sport.

Why don't you guys tell us what happenned and maybe motivate others to take some action as well?