Tax Grab On Tinnies

[SwampyWolf]

From the Sydney Morning Herald, (hope this is the right place to post this........)

Boaties furious about tinny tax cash grab

HEATH ASTON

May 16, 2010 EXCLUSIVE

Wake up... tinny owner George hopkins, on Lake Macquarie yesterday, is sick of the "money grubbing". Photo: Brock Perks

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.

[Guest rzep]

I am more then happy to have the extra put onto my boat rego and licence fee.

The service that these guys provide are well worth a little extra each year.

One day you or someone that is close to you will need their services.

If this makes the rescue organisation stronger then I am all for it.

For those that whinge about a couple of extra dollars then I pity you if you ever need help...

[cut_loose]

Argeed. Whats an extra 20 bucks these days anyway

[davebrewer]

Wake up you blokes,the issue is the unfairness of this to the majority of licence and boat rego holders throughout NSW,including inland, who are never going to need the service.And it is a naive assumption to think all the funds are going to rescue services,they are going to State revenue initially.It's another grab,like the increase in stamp duty last week,the State climate change charge on your excess water bill(bet you didn't know that was there),the huge rises in electricity charges last year and this year,etc,etc ad nauseum.The same clowns foisted Marine sanctuaries on us.Christ I can't wait for the next election.

[rickb]

Wake up you blokes,the issue is the unfairness of this to the majority of licence and boat rego holders throughout NSW,including inland, who are never going to need the service.And it is a naive assumption to think all the funds are going to rescue services,they are going to State revenue initially.It's another grab,like the increase in stamp duty last week,the State climate change charge on your excess water bill(bet you didn't know that was there),the huge rises in electricity charges last year and this year,etc,etc ad nauseum.The same clowns foisted Marine sanctuaries on us.Christ I can't wait for the next election.

Hey Dave your spot on ,glad I am not the only one with the same ideas.

probably one consulation being a pensioner and f/glass owner.

those clowns that voted them in are probably the same ones who put RUDD in.

[Guest rzep]

Wake up you blokes,

I am awake and my eyes are wide open.

This is what the rescue services need and it is attitudes like yours that have kept the independent rescue services separate all of these years.

It is time that they all came under the 1 umbrella and if it is partially funded by an increase for licence fees and boat rego's (after all it will be these people that will need these services possibly) then bring it on.

This has nothing to do with electricity prices or stamp duty it is for a rescue organisation.

[davebrewer]

Then ignoring the politics,and assuming that all the funds raised will go directly to the rescue mobs(and if you believe that I've got a bridge for sale),you tell us why the thousands of fishos with no access to these services should be slugged for them.

[Guest rzep]

And for those thousands of tax payers that pay the medicare levy each year and never use their medicare card, how does this differ?

I think that politics need to be left out of this one.

Yes you may be paying for a service that you may never need and I hope that you never do but that is better then having no service available if you ever do need it.

[gummybusta]

so many people already donate each year and also join VMR groups to fund them

many many boat owners fish inland, lakes, and river in small boat that have and never will need these services

why shold all pay for a service that is only for half of them

be like all cars paying for the upkeep on a service that will only be used in one part of the city

it is great for those that will use it but unfair to those that will never have the chance

nope this on it totaly unfair

a user pay system i'am all for but to slug everyone regardless

[fishingrod]

There is a lot of excited people here !

You guys better have your say and VOTE: http://www.maritime.nsw.gov.au/hys/marine_rescue_funding.html

cheers for now

Rod

Edited May 18, 2010 by fishingrod

[SwampyWolf]

I was holidaying at Yamba a few weeks ago, and a friend of the family came down from Queensland and we got talking about boating etc and he was telling me that in QLD they only pay for their boating licence once!!!, so I did a bit of search and here is the proof.

quote from the Queensland government web page

Queensland's boat licensing fee is A$39.85 for a life-time recreational marine driver licence.

read....LIFE TIME.........

i pay 100+ for 3 years......licence, so we are getting bent over and tobleroned!!!!!!!!, and they want to charge us more, sorry folks but I may have to sell up and head north.........

Edited May 19, 2010 by SwampyWolf

[SwampyWolf]

webby is

http://www.msq.qld.gov.au/Licensing/Recreational.aspx

have a look see,

oh, and these folk get it added to their licence as you would if you obtained a motorbike licence

You do not need to take any action to have the indicator added to your licence. The marine licence indicator will be automatically added to your driver licence when you renew or obtain a new licence at a Department of Transport and Main Roads customer service centre or licence issuing agency.

[Hodgey]

Yep, it's a fact.

You can imagine my surprise when I moved from QLD with my lfetime boat licence and was informed it would cost me every three years

[danny412]

What do you expect when you put a yank in charge of the state...

[Basil D]

I was holidaying at Yamba a few weeks ago, and a friend of the family came down from Queensland and we got talking about boating etc and he was telling me that in QLD they only pay for their boating licence once!!!, so I did a bit of search and here is the proof.

quote from the Queensland government web page

Queensland's boat licensing fee is A$39.85 for a life-time recreational marine driver licence.

read....LIFE TIME.........

i pay 100+ for 3 years......licence, so we are getting bent over and tobleroned!!!!!!!!, and they want to charge us more, sorry folks but I may have to sell up and head north.........

it seems like everything else, you live in Sydney you pay, Big Time, no wonder my Brother left.