2016 Annual Report

2016 ANNUAL REVIEW

2016 – A YEAR OF ACHIEVEMENTS FOR THE BOATING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION

2016 was our most extensive year yet operating as a national organisation, with the membership from Queensland joining their New South Wales and South Australian colleagues; and with the first full year of engagement of our national CEO, Howard Glenn.

The Board discussed and adopted a business plan through to the middle of 2017, with six priorities:

• Financial management

• Organisational development

• Grow boating

• A national program of Boat Shows

• Member programs

• Advocacy

All of our goals are progressing well, with solid foundations being laid for further transformation in 2017. At the end of 2016, we undertook a review of senior staff, ready to implement a new, lighter structure in the new year.

The Board has approved investment from our reserves in new products and services, which shows as a deficit in the financial statements. However we are intending to return the organisation to surplus in 2017, as our investments in new services start to make returns.

What follows below is a story of gradual, sensible growth of activity, reaching out to the new membership, and the development of priorities as we change in size and scale.

I take this opportunity to thank the staff of the organisation for their work in 2016. But in particular, I also thank the many members who volunteer their time on committees, our three State Councils, and my fellow Board Directors. I’m sure you will agree that there has been much achieved, and that there is more to come as we build a strong national voice for our industry.

Alan Blake President

GOVERNANCE AND PEOPLE

The BIA is the voice of the recreational and light commercial marine industry, promoting safe, recreational boating as a positive and rewarding lifestyle for Australians.

The Association strives to ensure that our members’ voices are heard in all relevant government, community and industry forums, to ensure any decisions that impact this lifestyle truly consider the needs of the boating community. The main objective of the BIA is to support and improve the sustainability of the recreational and light commercial marine industry.

The BIA represents an industry that generates an annual turnover of $8 billion, exporting $1 billion in products and services.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS (NATIONAL)

• President – Alan Blake

• Vice President – Rob Cuming

• Treasurer – Lyndon Turner (until 2016 AGM

• Director – Allen Buckley

• Director – Simon Cook

• Director – Craig Evans

• Director – Michael Jarvin

• Director – Nicholas Kitchen

• Director – Nathan Nichols

• Director – Paul Phelan

• Director – Peter Tucker (until 2016 AGM)

• Director – Darren Vaux

STATE COUNCILLORS –NEW SOUTH WALES

• Chairman – Alan Blake

• Deputy Chairman – Simon Cook

• Councillor – Lyndon Turner

• Councillor – Alan Steber

• Councillor – Michael Jarvin

• Councillor – David Randall

• Councillor – Paul Burgess

• Councillor – Jon Hunt

• Councillor – Ken Bullen

• Councillor – Shannon Stocks

• Councillor – Terry Wise

• Councillor – Bill Breakspear

STATE COUNCILLORS –SOUTH AUSTRALIA

• Chairman – Rob Cuming

• Councillor – Craig Evans

• Councillor – Allen Buckley

• Councillor – Andrew Craddock

• Councillor – Trish Flaherty

• Councillor – John Marini

• Councillor – David Binks

• Councillor – Peter Heinrich

• Councillor – Dean Forster

• Councillor – Stuart Myles

• Councillor – Peter Tucker

The Boating Industry Association is governed by a voluntary National Board chaired by Alan Blake, and supported by a professional staff, led since the end of 2015 by a national Chief Executive Officer, Howard Glenn.

The full list of people engaged at some time during the year in the leadership of the Association follows.

STATE COUNCILLORS – QUEENSLAND

• Chairman – Andrew Fielding

• Councillor – Matthew Hodson

• Councillor – Aaron Goodchild

• Councillor – Paul Phelan

• Councillor – Nathan Nichols

• Councillor – Nicholas Kitchen

• Councillor – Mark Suttle

• Councillor – Darryl Greentree (until 2016 AGM)

• Councillor – Ross Geurts

• Councillor – Norm Ambrose

• Councillor – Steve Sammes

• Councillor – Peter Ruhle

STAFF

• National Chief Executive Officer

– Howard Glenn

• Company Secretary – Roy Privett

• General Manager, Member Services – Nik Parker

• National Manager, Member Events & Marketing – Domenic Genua

• National Manager, Member Programs – Alan Barrett

• Financial Controller

– Simon Hazelbrook

• Operations Manager

– James Thompson

• Marketing & Events Coordinator

– Robyn Wingrove

• Marketing & Communication Coordinator – Megan Robson

• Marketing, Events & Special Projects

– Phil McDermott

• General Manager, Houseboat Hirers

– Peter Tucker

• General Manager, South Australia

– George Bolton

• Queensland Manager

– Aaron McKenna

• Education & Training Coordinator

– Corrina McMillan

• Membership Support Officer

– Jenny Bellaver

• Office Administration and Reception

– Linda English

• Executive Assistant/Office Coordinator

– Julie Harris

• NSW Member Services

– Shane Wilson

• Manager – Watsons Bay Pilot Station

– Sonia Robinson

2016 HIGHLIGHTS OF ACTIVITIES

Membership renewals for 2016 commenced in late January with 675 members renewing from the membership list of NSW, SA and Qld. With a number of businesses ceasing to trade, a number of mergers and then a limited number of members deciding not to renew, the overall retention rate from 2015 was approximately 90%, very much in line with historical records and the norm in industry associations (as reported by Associations Forum Member Retention Survey, June 2016).

The state-by-state breakdown of members showed 360 located in NSW, 100 in SA and 215 in Qld, with a handful reporting a head office based in Victoria or WA. The SA membership has swelled in 2016 with the Houseboat Hirers Association formally merging with the BIA at the end of 2015.

With the introduction of a new turnover-based subscription model for 2016 – to accommodate the variations across the three states’ previous fixed-fee model and to more closely align the subscription with a member’s ability to contribute to the operating costs of the BIA – there were understandably a number of members who were unsure about how the system worked and what impact it had on their membership. BIA worked with these members to explain the benefits of membership and to help them determine the appropriate tier of membership subscription for their business, noting most importantly that the tier of membership subscription did not in any way impact their access to member services, with all members being of equal standing. Overall, the response to the new system was well received with members valuing the support, tangible and intangible benefits they receive from being a part of the national industry association.

Understanding of the industry profile was enhanced by the turnover-based subscription model, providing BIA with a good insight into the make-up of the industry, with members’ electing one of five tiers of turnover giving a benchmark value of the industry for future years. Across the national membership, 45% of companies reported a turnover of less than $500,000, in line with previous national surveys of the value of the sector. Of this number, around a quarter are sole-traders, the remainder employing two or three people. The highest proportion of these tier one members is in South Australia, with around 75% being considered micro-businesses. Queensland members showed the lowest percentage of tier one memberships at 38% and the highest level of tier five memberships at 3%.

The 2016 Sydney Trailer Boat Show was held in Sydney Olympic Park, and the show continued its downward trend in exhibitor numbers. In part this was due to a decreasing number of industry participants, but notably linked to challenging economic conditions. Whilst visitor numbers were moderate, feedback indicated discomfort with the diversity on offer.

Discussions began with the SA Government about developing a more strategic approach to the allocation of funding to boating infrastructure, building on work that had been done in Qld and NSW in recent years. These discussions firmed up, with the SA Government commissioning the BIA to prepare a five year strategic plan for boating. Field work and public consultations began on this project in the last quarter of the year.

MARCH

BIA strengthened its presence in Queensland with the appointment of Aaron McKenna as East Coast Manager - Member Services, building on the support provided by Member Services Officer, Jenny Bellaver. Aaron and Jenny have extensive experience and knowledge of the boating industry and BIA members, having both worked for the BIA previously. Aaron established a new BIA office in the Coomera Marine Precinct, providing a local contact point for members in Qld, supplementing this with a program of member visits conducted throughout the year.

The Standards Australia Small and Inflatable Boat committee met at the beginning of March to review the portfolio of standards for boat design and build that are used in Australia. The BIA has taken the lead in reinvigorating the committee and has gained support from a number of stakeholders, including federal and state marine safety agencies, for an update of a number of the key standards, including the AS 1799 series, AS 4132 series and supporting specific product standards. In the mix is also a proposal to review and update the Australian Builders Plate standard and to consider how conformity assessment and compliance management can be improved.

Standardised documentation for brokers, sale of goods and service and berthing and storage contracts was published to provide BIA Members with access to contracts and forms tailored for the industry based on best practice guidance, backed up with legal advice from BIA Legal Partner Madison Marcus Lawyers. Ongoing work with brokers in Qld and NSW saw further refinement and enhancement of broker documentation with updated drafts released later in the year.

Proposals for the Gold Coast being designated a formal Port of Entry were given a significant boost with Minister for Immigration Peter Dutton expressing support

for the idea following discussions with BIA and leading members in the region. A strong campaign to enlist the support of local MPs, both state and federal, plus key agencies such as Gold Coast Waterways Authority and City of Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate, has helped bring the idea of a Gold Coast Port of Entry closer to reality. Expectations include increased business from visiting yachts, particularly superyachts transiting the east coast, and delivering valuable benefits to a range of marine businesses in the region. The Minister’s support referenced the plans for the new cruise terminal in the Broadwater and the 2018 Commonwealth Games, both of which will benefit greatly from a local clearance station.

Safety management on the River Murray was enriched with the River Murray Boating and Recreational Advisory Group (RMBRAG) launch of a series of nine short educational videos and a Code of Conduct for watersports on the river. BIA is a key partner of RMBRAG and was pleased to support the production of the video series, themed to capture the attention of its target audience (younger watersports participants) presenting a different ‘flavour’ of messaging to other boating safety educational campaigns. With the objective to build a safety and etiquette awareness culture about acceptable behavior when participating in watersports, it has been an undoubted success with several hundred thousand views on the dedicated RMBRAG Facebook page.

BIA delivered the support of industry, local councils and SA Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Stephen Mulligan, and featured the videos at the Australia New Zealand Safe Boating Education Group (ANZSBEG) meeting in May. This was met with a strong endorsement of the

campaign by the group. Since then RMBRAG and BIA have been working with the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure and Riverland councils to encourage the installation of signage developed to support the campaign by featuring the Code of Conduct at designated boat ramps and reserves.

Member Connect in Queensland saw a strong presence from the BIA team to meet members and recruit new members during the Gold Coast Marine Expo and Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show. With a member lounge at each show and roving team members out on the pontoons and in the aisles, BIA members were given an opportunity to catch up on issues with the association and discuss membership renewals for 2016. As a first large-scale exercise to meet industry members in Qld following the merger of Marine Queensland with the BIA, success was measured in terms of strong renewals and six new members signing up during or shortly after the show weekend.

A visit to Darwin at the end of May to attend the biannual ANZSBEG meeting provided the opportunity to visit past BIA NT members and meet new industry participants.

Over the course of three days, 25 companies were visited and introduced to the National BIA, explaining how the state associations were coming together to form a stronger association and deliver increased support to members.

The response was excellent with all very enthusiastic to learn how they could be part of the National BIA and enjoy the same benefits as members across the country.

The 2016 Adelaide Boat Show incorporated positive changes including a broader marketing campaign that included magazines and the reintroduction of a boat show program. 2016 laid the foundation for a number of ideas for further development moving forward. The Show was delivered under the guidance of Kym Jones Exhibitions and Events.

One Murray, a strategy for management of a multitude of issues concerning the River Murray in SA, was born out of BIA’s engagement with the South Australian EPA and other state agencies to tackle the problem of non-compliant, live-aboard and abandoned boats on the river. With no single agency taking control of all aspects of regulatory management of boats and boaters on the river, and with a source of unwanted, lower-standard, older houseboats being available from the more regulated eastern states, a complex set of issues covering the environment, safety and personal welfare has arisen.

BIA’s proposal to develop a strategy for dealing with these issues across multiple agencies has been promoted and readily endorsed by stakeholders, with the Riverland Local Government Forum comprising state agency heads, local councils and regional development authorities, endorsing the proposal and expanding to be

a Whole-of-Murray approach and look also at economic growth and strengthening local communities.

International industry issues and development opportunities were the focus of the International Council of Marine Industry Associations (ICOMIA) Annual Congress, held this year in Italy. Formed in 1967, ICOMIA is the voice of the recreational marine industry worldwide, with members drawn from all major boating regions including Europe, North & South Americas, Middle East, Asia, Australasia and South Africa. The BIA is part of this global family of marine industry associations and has played an important role in ICOMIA for many years, including hosting the annual Congress in 2002, providing the President in 2006-2008 in way of Graham Avers and most recently the Vice-President in way of Simon Cook. BIA’s membership of ICOMIA is a partnership with the Marina Industries Association (MIA) and the Australian International Marine Export Group (AIMEX).

ICOMIA represents its members at an international level and provides a forum in which to consider issues of common concern, formulating agreed policy to tackle each as necessary. ICOMIA’s core aim is to develop and sustain the global recreational marine industry by: breaking down barriers to trade; seeking removal of unnecessary or unviable legislation; promoting awareness of the industry’s requirements and objectives;

providing guidance on standards and regulations (and a forum in which to shape such); promoting the concept of recreational boating as being fun, a lifestyle and available to all; providing members with data, advice and support on all issues relevant to the sector, drawing on lessons learned and sharing the knowledge of its global membership.

At the 50th Congress this year, the Australian industry was represented by BIA and AIMEX, providing a strong presence alongside the teams from North American, European and Asian members. ICOMIA has a portfolio of committees covering global technical standards and regulation for boat

design, manufacture and use; environmental impacts and legislation; boating promotion programs; industry statistics and data gathering; export market issues and changes to worldwide customs reporting requirements; health and safety related to chemical usage in the industry, among many other topics. BIA’s role is to understand and quantify the many detailed issues being dealt with around the world that could impact members operating in such markets now or could find their way into Australian legislation in the future.

The 2016 Sydney International Boat Show was the last of the shows at the interim Sydney Exhibition Centre @ Glebe Island. Both exhibitor and visitor numbers were down, achieving the smallest footprint and visitor numbers in more than 20 years. On a positive note, the quality of visitors was exceptional with those choosing to exhibit (in particular the trailer boat sector), reporting excellent sales.

The Boating Industry Hall of Fame Award, presented at the Sydney International Boat Show, was this year awarded to Anthony (Tony) Griffin in recognition of his unstinting support for the BIA and his industry colleagues that led to a number of firsts in engaging with and working with Government environment agencies, culminating in several awards and publication of long-standing industry best practice guidelines and accreditation programs.

In bestowing the award, BIA President Alan Blake said “Tony has made a tremendous commitment devoting a huge number of hours to assist and improve our industry. He has been an inspiration for his dedication, leadership and outstanding service to developing and advancing the Boating Industry. In a true reflection of Tony’s character and continued passion for the industry, he has asked that the Hall of Fame Award prize fund be donated to Sailability and the Marine Industry Foundation”.

The SA Second-hand Dealers & Pawnbrokers Act introduced the requirement for boat and caravan dealers to be registered under amendments to the 1986 Act, citing concerns about the level of organised criminal activity within the boating and caravan industries. With little or no evidence to support this, the BIA joined forces with the MTA SA and the caravan industry’s CCIASA to prepare joint submissions calling for a permanent registration exemption for boat and caravan dealers.

The SA Government subsequently asked SA Police (SAPOL) for data which would then be used as a key factor in any decision being made to grant an exemption, with SAPOL reporting back to the Minister of Police claiming an extraordinary amount of thefts in the boating and caravan sector. BIA undertook research with insurers and related parties to collate data to refute this claim and continues to work constructively and methodically through the issues with the SA Government and SAPOL to secure the best outcomes for members.

The 2016 Brisbane Boat Show was repackaged year under the full management of the National Events team. Taking feedback from industry, utilising knowledge of the shows past success and a fresh approach to the event, the show was determined a success both for visitors and exhibitors. Show results point to a positive future with growth of the show footprint immediately identified.

Marine engine emission regulations table with a workshop in Melbourne drawing on expert technical presentations from BIA’s overseas colleagues at the US National Marine Manufacturers Association to explain the issues likely to impact boat builders and marine dealers under the draft regulations proposed by the Department for the Environment. The workshop identified industry concerns associated with the need to assess or test fuel tanks for evaporative emissions compliance, noting that the complexity of some tank designs (dictated by constraints on internal space geometry) would be a considerable challenge to model, as required by the testing standards used in the USA.

BIA provided feedback to the Department representatives at the workshop and followed this with a submission to the Minister, noting that the impact on the industry from introducing evaporative emission standards had very little benefit in reducing total emissions, noting particularly that no evidence had been assessed in this regard during the Department’s drafting work. Announcements later in the year validated this approach with evaporative emission requirements removed from the latest draft regulations and standards.

Boat registration data for Qld was published at the Brisbane Boat Show following extensive reworking of the raw data provided by Queensland Transport and Main Roads (TMR). Early in 2016, while reviewing the latest datasets from TMR, it became clear that there were a number of inconsistencies in the data delivered to BIA,

with BIA then undertaking a review of the origins of the data and a thorough analysis and cross-check of data by BIA’s statistics consultant. It was identified that errors in reporting by the original registrant on a hard copy registration form were the likely source of most inconsistencies, along with a more limited impact of transcription and data management system errors.

As part of the analysis work, BIA developed a new dataset capable of reporting against multiple criteria across the state-wide fleet. Detailed analysis of, for instance, how many 5.5m, centre console boats with a 40hp outboard are registered in a particular postcode is now possible and is available to BIA members as a business planning service. The overview of this report provided headline figures showing a fleet of 255,000 recreational boats registered in Queensland, equating to one per 19 people. The data also shows that 90% of the fleet is under 7.5m in length and that open boats (with no cuddy or console) make up more than 60% of the fleet by boat type.

Marine Card moved to an online course for new inductions following a successful launch of online renewals earlier in the year. The induction content remains specific and relevant to the boating industry and the risks and hazards which we see in our workplaces. The course has been streamlined, and now takes less than 2 hours to complete - in one sitting, or multiple short sittings as suits the user. Additionally, recognising that boating industry workers may be required to hold the Construction Industry White Card at some workplaces or when undertaking construction work, the program was enhanced to provide for White Card induction to be delivered at the same time as the Marine Card induction.

The BIA Marine Contractors Insurance Package was launched alongside the revised Marine Card program, providing BIA members with a suite of fit-for-purpose and cost-effective insurance cover including: Ship Repairers & General Liability, Vessel and Vehicles, Tools, Travel, Workers Comp, and Income Protection for sole traders. Delivered by BIA Marine Insurance Partner Steadfast-IRS (formerly IC Frith), policy holders under the BIA Marine Contractors Insurance Package receive from Steadfast-IRS a $150 voucher annually, to be redeemed against the cost of BIA Membership, or Marine Card training.

OCTOBER

Discover Boating Week in 2016 was an interim year with new consumer activations in development not ready for the marketplace. As such the 9-days were utilised to drive a consumer boating lifestyle awareness campaign, encouraging people to consider boating as part of their recreational activities, and how to do so. Other kindred organisations saw the exposure opportunity and used the week to run their own activities. These included; Discover Sailing Day, Gone Fishing Day and Boating Safety Day. The Adelaide On-Water Boat Show operated as part of Discover Boating Week. This event complements other local activities and gives the public an alternative avenue for understanding the boating lifestyle. The events location on the Adelaide Marina also means that the large boat market has an opportunity to showcase its offerings.

North Queensland members met with BIA representatives during a series of visits to members in North Qld in and around Mackay and Airlie Beach. Recognising that members in the region had not had direct contact with BIA or the previous association for some time, a preliminary visit to evaluate the scope of the marine industry in the area paved the way for a more extensive visit which included well-attended member briefings at Mackay Marina and Abell Point Marina, providing members with the opportunity to learn more about the role of the BIA and to explain where support for industry could be focused in the region. With a number of non-members also attending, 18 membership enquiries were logged across the two events and are now being followed up by the Member Services team: a great outcome of the visit and a great boost to developing membership in the region.

Gold Coast and Brisbane member forum evenings were scheduled to tie-in with the BIA National Board meeting in Brisbane for the first time. The BIA team provided members with updates on activities and objectives for the BIA over the next 12 months, with more than 40 members joining the conversation. The forums followed the success of the member engagement at the Brisbane Boat Show in August, covering a wide range of issues and projects including the roll out of the Marine Card Access Management System, a detailed review of the BIA advocacy platform, including waterways access and infrastructure development, reducing the regulatory burden and industry professional development, plus a relaunch of boat registration data reporting in Queensland.

Discussions with tourism and economic development agencies and other marine industry players in the region highlighted issues and topics of importance, including interest in boat shows in the area. In both Mackay and Airlie Beach, local agencies provided detailed briefings and tours of local waterways to showcase current facilities and highlight opportunities for future infrastructure improvements.

AMSA Cost recovery proposals including a levy on domestic commercial vessels were launched with little consultation, leading to a considerable back lash from the sector. With AMSA estimating costs of assuming full control of the administration of domestic commercial vessels at $25M per year, the impact on operators was shown to be significant in BIA’s survey of members in the tourism, transport and work boat sectors, with some operators predicting in excess of a 100% increase in regulatory costs. BIA’s submission made to AMSA noted that a significant proportion of the wider marine industry would be in some way impacted by commercial vessel regulation, whether as boat builders, surveyors, commercial vessel operators such as hire and drive and charter yachts, training and education or suppliers of equipment and other services.

The BIA submission rejected either option of cost recovery levy, instead making a recommendation that AMSA seek urgently to discuss alternate arrangements in direct consultation with BIA. Subsequent communications from AMSA acknowledged that the proposals for a levy were poorly received by industry across the board, with over 600 formal submissions entered and more than 4000 direct communications on the topic recorded, with the overwhelming majority all being substantially negative. AMSA formally withdrew the proposal for levy shortly afterward.

Two new members of staff joined the team in NSW, bolstering support for members with the appointment of Shane Wilson as the NSW Membership Officer. Delivering increased support for schools boating education programs with the appointment of Sonia Robinson to run the Boating Safety Education Centre at the Watsons Bay Pilot Station.

The Australian Builders Plate was introduced in stages across the country during 2006 as a mandatory requirement for all new boats sold in Australia, setting out to improve safety of boats and for boaters by defining minimum standards for powered vessels covering buoyancy, maximum load and powering. 10 years on, the success of the ABP is unquestioned in having improved boat design standards and alongside recent campaigns to improve lifejacket wear rates, the ABP has been an important element of making boating even safer.

The BIA initiated a program to remind and update industry of some of the finer detail of the ABP which may have been forgotten or misunderstood by designers, builders, importers and dealers. Reports from leading manufacturers, brokers and some boating safety agencies suggest that there are a number of boats that are not compliant with the ABP with a contributing factor being the known lack of enforcement by relevant agencies, which has undoubtedly led to a level of complacency. Discussions continue with state marine safety and registration agencies about an industry-led solution to this current state of play.

River Murray increased flows show-cased a healthy river, providing fantastic opportunities for water-based activities in the upcoming summer peak boating season. The winter rains across the Murray-Darling catchments delivered increased water to the river, with some of the best flows for a number of years reinvigorating a healthy river. Reporting on increased flows in some media outlets, particularly in SA, led to concern among tourism operators, including houseboat hirers, that the river is expecting a dangerous flood event. The BIA and the Houseboat Hirers Association (a national division of BIA) partnered with SA agencies, including the SA Department of Environment, to correct this with factual information and expert advice, ensuring a continued confidence among the many BIA members with businesses along the River Murray in SA.

DECEMBER

The Marine Card was accepted as an alternate qualification for low-risk commercial vessel operations following extensive consultation with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. This set out to address a gap in the portfolio of suitable qualifications for skippers of smaller boats working in sheltered water areas, such as marina tenders and similar low-risk operations. A conflict between regulated and historically-enforced state regulations and the new national regulations overriding such in way of new operations since July 2013, highlighted that existing qualifications (Coxswain and Master certificates) did not necessarily envisage such operations being covered. The alternate options made available in the exemption drafted to accommodate low-risk operations, known as Exemption 38, similarly was too onerous for many operations and required extensive off-the-job training for each crew member.

BIA’s proposal to AMSA to make use of the BIA Marine Card as a means of assessing and verifying competency to operate a low-risk commercial vessel, based on the operator having a general boating licence and the business operating under an agreed formal safety management plan, was accepted by AMSA with an amendment to Exemption 38 notified to industry and training organisations. The cooperative relationship developed as part of the negotiation will be of benefit in further streamlining regulatory requirements for many BIA members operating in the commercial vessel sector.

The new BIA membership CRM database, myBIA, entered final testing following several months of development work by the BIA team and contractors. The investment in an online, interactive member database and communication platform will greatly enhance BIA members’ engagement with the teams in Sydney, Adelaide and Coomera when launched early in the new year. The web-based CRM system was implemented by a leading association focused membership system provider and will provide members with direct access to their membership record, provision for online orders and payments, secure member-only communications, plus an easier membership renewal process.

THROUGH THE YEAR

E-News remained an important medium to deliver industry information to members on a fortnightly basis.

Logbook delivered our Association report card of activities and industry information.

A consumer campaign to encourage dealing with a BIA member as a priority continued throughout the year.

The benefits of the boating lifestyle were promoted through Channel 7’s Sydney Weekender, with this subsequently opening discussions for similar exposure through another related medium in Queensland.

The BIA team featured weekly on Radio espousing recreational boating and good safe boating practices.

MyBoatingLife.com.au continued as the portal assisting new and old boaties to get onto, or improve their time on the water.

The BIA’s portfolio of web and social media pages were kept current and active.

Late 2016 saw the start of member forums and laid the foundation for an expanded program in 2017. The connection with members remains a priority and the forums allow the BIA team and members to interact and better understand localised issues. In return, the BIA team are able to deliver a report on activities of the past, present and plans for the future.

Research on the impact of the boat show program was commissioned, and released to members at the end of the year, detailing the trends, types of visitors, and key information to inform planning for 2017.

ROY PRIVETT

BIA

stalwart and long term General

Manager

of

the Boating Industry Association Roy Privett commenced his transition to retirement.

Having served the BIA and its members for just short of 28 years, Roy worked through until February 2017. Roy decided to remain with the BIA after he was able to retire late in 2015, in order to support the BIAs transition to a national body.

With his brood of grandchildren growing and an endless number of places he and his wife Dale want to visit, Roy’s retirement will surely come with less free time than he expects.

Roy joined the BIA in February 1989 and was immediately charged with shaping the first boat show to move into Darling Harbour. Subsequently he has been instrumental in many projects driven through advocacy or detailed in house planning and work, that have ensured the industry’s ongoing prosperity and support.

Whilst Roy’s departure is a loss, his work and contribution over the decades have left a positive legacy for the Association body and its members that will be lasting for years to come.

The Directors, Councillors, Staff and Members of the BIA wish Roy an enjoyable retirement.

STATEMENT OF PROFIT OR LOSS AND OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2016*

*Further detail is in the full audited financial statements, available in the “Members’ Section” of the BIA website www.bia.org.au

BOATING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION LTD FINANCIAL OVERVIEW – 2016 INCOME

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION

AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2016