Logbook - Summer 2016-17

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SUMMER 2016/17

The official newsletter of the Boating Industry Association

LOGBOOK NEWSLETTER

Summer 2016/2017

The official newsletter of the

Boating Industry Association PO Box 1204 CROWS NEST NSW 1585 Ph: 02 9438 2077 Offices in Adelaide, Brisbane & Gold Coast Email: info@bia.org.au Web: www.bia.org.au & www.myboatinglife.com.au

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Board of Directors President: Alan Blake Vice-President: Robert Cuming Directors: Allen Buckley, Simon Cook, Craig Evans, Michael Jarvin, Nicholas Kitchen, Nathan Nichols, Paul Phelan, Darren Vaux.

CEO’s Desk

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National Update

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CRM database system and member records

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State updates

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Issues & Projects updates

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2016 Boat Show Circuit a solid success

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National Chief Executive Officer — Howard Glenn Company Secretary — Roy Privett General Manager, Member Services — Nik Parker National Manager, Member Events & Marketing — Domenic Genua General Manager, Member Programs & Priority Initiatives — Alan Barrett Financial Controller — Simon Hazelbrook Operations Manager — James Thompson Marketing, Events & Special Projects — Phil McDermott Marketing & Events Coordinator — Robyn Wingrove Marketing & Communication Coordinator — Megan Robson General Manager, Houseboat Hirers — Peter Tucker General Manager, South Australia — George Bolton Member Services, East Coast — Aaron McKenna NSW Member Services Representative— Shane Wilson Education & Training Coordinator — Corrina McMillan Membership Support Officer — Jenny Bellaver Office Administration and Reception — Linda English Product Development Consumer — Rod Palmer Special Projects, Infrastructure & Advocacy — Adam Culbert Office Coordinator & EA to CEO — Julie Harris Centre Manager, Watsons Bay Pilot Station — Sonia Robinson

MIF launches industry giving back program

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Please send editorial contributions to Domenic Genua at genua@bia.org.au For advertising rates contact the BIA (02) 9438 2077 Please send editorial contributions to Domenic Genua at genua@bia.org.au Logbook gratefully acknowledges those that contributed and in particular Robin Copeland from SPINS (0414 266 758) for his assistance in producing this publication.

BIA Staff

© Copyright 2016 Boating Industry Association. The opinions, advice and information contained herein have not been sought by any member or any other person but are offered as an information service and should not be relied upon as a substitute for detailed advice or as a basis for formulating business decisions. BIA intends by this statement to exclude any liability for any such opinions, advice or information within this publication.

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Sustaining regional coastal communities

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Marine Card Program approaches milestone

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Marine17 International Conference

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International update

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New insurance solutions for marine contractors

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From the CEO Advocacy, Boat Shows, Grow Boating, Member Programs, and Organizational Development

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hose of you who have been watching closely will realize that we skipped an issue of Logbook this year. There’s been so much happening and so much changing, as we continue to build a strong national voice for the businesses which make up our boating industry. When I looked at the draft content for a mid-year edition of Logbook, I decided that there was so much that was midstream, and so much written by members of the BIA team who were too busy doing things to write clearly about them.

Now we’ve come through most of the year, you’ll see that we can put this activity in perspective. The body of work has been significant. We have demonstrated that putting separate organisations together builds strength. Our boat shows have lifted; our voice with the Federal Government is clearer; our reputation with the State Governments is stronger; and our services to members are more valued.

Under the leadership of our National Board, we are working to a clear 18-month program under five headings: Advocacy, Boat Shows, Grow Boating, Member Programs, and Organizational Development. Some of this work has long lead times, and can’t be reported on yet. But it is really pleasing to acknowledge some of the progress that has been made.

role in a thorough review of boating. The SA Government has expressed a strong desire to increase participation in boating, through measurable rises in the number of vessel registrations and licences. It has commissioned BIA to do an extensive community consultation and come up with a five year plan for investment of boater levies – leading to safer, more accessible waterways, clearer destinations for boaters, and a modern regulatory system.

At the national level, we have had a series of frank and productive discussions with AMSA, an organisation which has an enormous impact on our industry, particularly those who are engaged in boat building and boat hire. We get the challenges they have, but we have made it clear that there (… cont. over page)

Christmas Closedown

When our Queensland State Council first met, they had three priorities – to get a decent Brisbane Boat Show delivered, to restore statistical reports on boating registration numbers, and to sort out the conflicting boat shows on the Gold Coast.

Under Dom Genua’s leadership, the Brisbane Boat Show has got off to a great new start, and has a solid future.

At the opening, we presented boater registration data in a new and insightful way. And after a lot of shuttle diplomacy, we have a new approach to the Gold Coast shows, which will become clear over the coming weeks. In addition to all this, we’ve established a new Queensland office, and held several member forums, and are well placed to recruit new members in 2017. As a sign of our commitment to being a truly national organisation, we have decided to host next year’s world industry congress in Queensland.

Our NSW State Council has gone through a process of transition – once the key decision making body of the organisation, it is now concentrating on NSW issues, albeit with a strong responsibility for our biggest national event, the Sydney International Boat Show.

Two continuing loud concerns come from NSW Council – the need to boost vocational training, and to re-assure the NSW members that they are not being taken for granted as we spread the BIA message. We have done a lot of work now to prepare some clear options on vocational training in 2017 and beyond. We’ve engaged a recognised industry expert to work through our needs and advise on practical steps to get young people into apprenticeships.

There’ll be some meaty discussions ahead on how much to invest in this. I’m also pleased that we’ve been able to appoint a new NSW Member Services Officer, who’ll start before the end of the year to strengthen our NSW base.

The office of the Boating Industry Association will be closed over Christmas and New Year from Saturday 24th December and will re-open on Monday 9th January.

The BIA team will be available throughout this time for any urgent matters.

During this time, please contact:

NSW Domenic Genua – 0412 642 357 Simon Hazelbrook – 0412 605 071

South Australia George Bolton – 0417 818 434

Queensland Aaron McKenna – 0430 115 043

Marine Card Enquiries Alan Barrett – 0402 113 885

And in South Australia, the BIA has taken the central

BIA LOGBOOK Summer 2016/2017 - 3

From the CEO ... needs to be a real change in approach to the design of their commercial vessel regulatory system.

We’re very pleased that AMSA has recognised our Marine Card program, so that a combination of Marine Card and a Recreational Boat Licence will be enough for low complexity commercial vessel activity. For years in NSW and Queensland, operators of marina tenders and workboats in mooring fields only needed a recreational boating licence.

Under the national system, something went wrong and a whole new complex qualification system was built. This has now been rolled back, and shortly the Marine Card/Rec boating licence will do. A common-sense approach, and one which gives us confidence that there’ll be more common sense applied in the redesign of AMSA’s national system.

There’s more going on in preparation for some initiatives in 2017. We’re investing some of our reserves in the development of products that will help transform our engagement with the millions of Australia boaters, and also reach out to the Australians who want to go boating, but haven’t worked out how. I’m not going to make the mistake of describing these while we’re in the middle of the development. But rest assured that we will continue to report to you as they come to fruition.

We must broaden our base, there are challenges ahead.

Have your say ...

Member communications and feedback BIA sends out regular communications – including Logbook and the fortnightly e-news, plus topic-specific messages from time-to-time – but often we don’t hear back from members.

Of course, not every member is involved with every issue BIA is working on, but as a member association our core duty is to ensure members are kept informed of and involved with the work of the BIA. Members across SA, NSW, Qld and NT are always welcome to provide comment on local issues or topics likely to be of relevance to members around the country and should feel free to address such to their local Member Services team representative or directly to Nik Parker at nik@bia.org.au.

The management of the waterways, investment in boating infrastructure, sensible safety initiatives – these are all contested issues.

There are loud voices calling for protection of the environment, who don’t stop to listen to boaters who care just as much about the environment, and often know more about it. There’s lots of attention to big infrastructure projects, but the little projects that we need, or could deliver ourselves from our boating levies, are left as low priorities. Safety campaigns that might work for the roads are offered for our very different boating environment.

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I hope you take the time to read through this issue of Logbook. I think you’ll see that we’re more than up to these challenges if we continue to work together.

Have a great summer boating season – I hope to see many of you on the water!

Howard Glenn Chief Executive Officer

National Update Building a strong membership base The BIA is an association of member businesses, and our core objective is to support this membership grow and sustain the industry. Our varied projects support this objective, and include boat shows, boating promotion, specialist industry development programs, and advocacy. It’s been a very busy and productive year, and we outline some of the highlights, key achievements and some of the work that is in progress.

of members’ business will also help shape the creation of new value-adding services and benefits as BIA is better able to identify what works best for different sizes of businesses.

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%.

Membership renewals 2016 The annual membership renewal for 2016 was a great success 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 Queensland, with a handful reporting a head office based in Victoria or WA. The SA membership was 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, direct and intangible benefits they receive from being a part of the national industry association.

Membership and Industry profile The turnover-based membership subscription system provided BIA with a good insight to the make-up of the industry, with members’ election of one of five tiers of turnover giving a benchmark value of the industry for future years. The profile

In looking at the total reported turnover of the industry, taking the third quartile value of turnover associated with each tier of membership subscription, the value of the BIA member base in NSW, Qld and SA in 2016 can be estimated at around $2bn. This is of course not an exact science and also does not account for the very largest of companies with the top tier being designated as a turnover greater than $20M, but it does provide a benchmark for future understanding of the state of the industry.

Members’ support in making a turnover declaration as part of their renewal will greatly assist this understanding in the future. BIA will also be looking at how to gather more industry data as part of the annual renewal process from 2017 onward, providing an even better insight to the value and profile of the boating industry in Australia and in keeping with such datasets in other industry sectors.

BIA Membership application – assuring credibility An important part of BIA membership application process is confirming and assuring the quality, reliability and credibility of member businesses. This provides assurance to both the consumer looking to transact business with the member and also to the membership as a whole that their peers are

BIA LOGBOOK Summer 2016/2017 - 5

upholding standards expected of members of the BIA. The new-member application form requires an applicant to provide trade references and evidence of ASIC registration, in addition to the application being endorsed by a proposer and seconder, both of which are financial members of the association.

Where a business is looking to become a member of the BIA, these simple steps provide a good measure of the standing of the applicant among their peers. The completed application is reviewed by the relevant State Council, with approvals usually being granted during the bi-monthly Council meeting.

Occasionally, due to various circumstances, an applicant is unable to satisfy these criteria at the time of submitting the application. In such cases, the usual approval process can be delayed and the applicant may be waiting several months between Council meetings to receive feedback on their application.

To streamline this process, while continuing to uphold standards, the BIA Member Services team will in future be working with applicants and the State Councils to source suitable references where necessary: this extra assistance was approved by the National Board in September and has already helped speed up and finalise applications from six companies, all of which have now been welcomed into BIA Membership.

Welcome new members During 2016 BIA has welcomed a number of new members from across the three principal states of BIA membership and also from WA and Tasmania. These new members demonstrate the continuing growth and success of the boating industry in Australia and the appreciation of the importance of being a member of the national industry association.

NEW MEMBERS BIA Councils of NSW, SA & QLD and staff warmly welcome the following businesses into our Association and look forward to your participation in BIA activities and services:-

New South Wales Osca International Pty Ltd T/as Nautilus Australia Contact: Dmitriy Akhmetov, Haberfield NSW – Boat Sales – power Garry Crowhurst Pty Ltd T/as Ship Shape Services Contact: Garry Crowhurst, Newport NSW – Detailer Bluewater Sound Pty Ltd T/as Bluewater Powerboats Contact: Rocky Tassone, Church Point NSW – Boat Sales – power Quality Covers Pty Ltd Contact: Cameron Harrison, Beaumont Hills NSW – Covers, upholsterers, interiors BM & SL Betts T/as Sussex Marine Contact: Brian Betts, Sussex Inlet NSW – Lifejacket servicing facility Wombat Marine Pty Ltd T/as Bosun Wholesale Contact: Brian Betts, Sussex Inlet NSW – Chandlery wholesale company Admiral Marine Surveying Pty Ltd Contact: Donald Buckley, Seaforth NSW – Surveyor Seafoil Holdings Pty Ltd Contact: Brett North, Huntleys Cove NSW – Boat manufacturer – Seablade vessels & engine sales The Marina Doctor Contact: Ritchie Bazzard, Oxford Falls NSW – Marine Contractors Top 8 Pty Ltd T/as Killcare Marina Contact: Michael Sparks, Killcare NSW – Marina Imagine Marine Pty Ltd T/as Toronto Marine Centre Contact: Adam Tonks, Toronto NSW – Boat sales power, engine sales, secondhand marine dealer Practice Management Partners Pty Ltd T/as Compass Boats Contact: Dan Hanoumis, Drummoyne NSW – Boat sales power, importer of Compass Boats HCM Projects Pty Ltd T/as HCM Marine Contact: Peter Lord, Port Macquarie NSW – Boat repairs/ maintenance – mechanical & structural, Antifoul paints, varnish, coatings and adhesives.

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Maui Jim Australia Pty Ltd T/as Maui Jim Sunglasses Contact: Nathan Fisher, Frenchs Forest NSW – Sunglasses Kedge Pty Ltd Contact: Adam Brancher, Sandy Bay Tasmania – Marine consultants Butchart Marine Services Pty Ltd Contact: Greg Butchart, Allambie Heights NSW – Marine Contractors – jetties, wharves and pontoons, boat lifts

QLD – June 2016 Fishing and Leisure Boats Pty Ltd Contact: Tim Stessl Ashmore QLD – Boat sales power Ocean Lifestyle Pty Ltd T/as Euromarine Contact: David Bolt Coomera QLD – Engine sales Stella Systems Pty Ltd Contact: Gary Cooper Ormeau QLD – Marine engineering & refit C4 Industries Contact: Melody Crump Monterey Keys QLD - Oils & lubricants Blackpond Marine Consultants Pty Ltd Contact: Joseph Akacich Coomera QLD – Marine consultants Motosport Springwood Pty Ltd T/as Springwood Marine Contact: Duncan Benstead (Director) Slacks Creek QLD – Boat sales power, engine sales, secondhand marine dealer

SA – June 2016 Absolute Lifestyle Pty Ltd T/as Bluewater Marine & Trailers Contact: Jason Deckers ST MARYS SA – Boat sales, engine sales, secondhand marine dealer Filippetti Yachts Australia Pty Ltd Contact: Giulia Diambra West Perth WA – Boat sales Filippetti Yachts

CRM database system and member records

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key objective of the plan for integration of the BIAs across the country has been the consistent delivery of support to members, wherever they are.

To assist this, a new online, interactive member database and communication platform is being developed which will greatly enhance BIA members’ engagement with the teams in Sydney, Adelaide and Coomera.

A cloud-based CRM system is being implemented by a leading association membership system provider and this will provide members with direct access to their membership record, provide for online orders and payments, secure member-only communications, plus an easier membership renewal process.

As part of a wider upgrade of BIA’s IT and communications systems, the new CRM system will also provide the BIA team, whether in the office, at the show or on the road, with realtime access to the membership database, ensuring accuracy of member information and importantly the ability to readily record discussions with members.

Members will shortly be receiving personalized login details to access the CRM system and will be provided with online tutorials on how to make the most of the system when roll out is completed.

Membership renewal 2017 The BIA membership renewal for 2017 will begin in January, with members receiving an invoice for their membership subscription to end December 2017. Prompt payment will ensure BIA has ready access to the funds required to deliver services to members and demonstrates a member’s commitment to the association.

The invoice will reflect the tier of membership subscription selected by the member in 2016, although members are encouraged to review their business performance during 2016 and consider whether any adjustment to their membership subscription tier is required.

If a new invoice is required, simply email info@bia.org.au with your original invoice number and selected new tier and a replacement invoice will be issued.

The membership subscription tiers and fees will remain unchanged in 2017 with the following to apply:

Turnover year to June 2016

Membership Subscription Tier (exc gst)

Less than $500,000 $500,000 to $2million $2million to $5million $5million to $20million

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$400

2

$675

3

$1000

4

$1250

More than $20million

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$2000

Boating Industry Association

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Logbook

Logbook: Published four times per year with a print run of over 1,000 copies, Logbook is distributed to BIA members, associates, industry stakeholders and selected friends of the BIA.

Cost: Full Page

Members Non-members Members Non-Members $650.00 $1,300.00

HalfPage Page $450.00 Full $1000.00 Quarter Page $300.00 Half Page $700.00 Inserts also Quarter Pageavailable $450.00 Members $300.00

$900.00 $2000.00 $600.00 $1400.00 $900.00

Non-members $600.00

Information: All prices are for finished artwork supplied by the advertiser and exclude GST. Advertising is subject to space availability and the BIA reserves the right to reject advertising.

For publication dates and specifications, please email info@bia.org.au

To book advertising, contact the BIA on 02 9438 2077

Use the BIA logo Boating Industry Association

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Let your customers know that you are a member of the BIA and comply with the BIA’s Code of Practice

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State updates State Councils T

he State Councils for NSW, Queensland and SA met regularly throughout 2016 to provide commentary on state-specific issues and act as a sounding board for BIA state-based projects.

While recreational boating, planning and development and other matters are still state regulated and administered, the State Council’s role is invaluable in providing a connection with local members and ensuring that local interests are appropriately accommodated in the bigger picture of BIA advocacy and representation.

The State Councils are elected by state-based members at the relevant State Council AGM each autumn, with councillors serving a three-year term on a rolling one-third re-election cycle.

Members wishing to support the work of the State Council and more widely the National Board and BIA team, should consider being a part of their local State Council as vacancies arise. Members are eligible to stand for a State Council in any state in which they have a physical office presence.

New South Wales Member engagement

In NSW, where engagement with members has traditionally been very strong, the reorganisation of BIA resources to additionally encompass Queensland has meant a slight reduction in the direct engagement with members in NSW during 2016.

To strengthen this important element of membership, a new role of NSW Member Services Officer has been recruited and BIA will be pleased to introduce a new team member in the New Year. This new full-time position will expand the Member Services team to ensure members in all states have access to local support and a focus point for enquiries.

An important opportunity for engaging with members in NSW is the Sydney International Boat Show and this year every member of the BIA team had a role at the show to meet and greet members, whether exhibiting or visiting to see the show.

Every member exhibiting was visited at least twice by the Member Services team to catch-up on the state of play with the individual business or to discuss topics impacting the sector more broadly. This will continue at SIBS in the future – and all other BIA boat shows – as a key means of member engagement.

To supplement the boat show presence, the BIA team will also be presenting a series of member engagement events in NSW in Autumn and then in Spring.

Full details will follow early in 2017, but members in NSW should mark dates around 20-24 February as a great opportunity to catch-up with the BIA team. The Member Services team will be on hand to discuss any issues or topics members wish to discuss, plus the Events and Marketing team will be there to update on the boat show program and other boating promotion events for 2017.

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The Boating Industry Hall of Fame Award

Tony Griffin – Robert Greaves Achievement Award.

In 1990, the BIA of NSW introduced the Robert Greaves Achievement Award, named in honour of Robert Greaves who delivered outstanding service, leadership and dedication to the recreational Boating Industry. In 2012 all 14 past recipients were incorporated into the Boating Industry Hall of Fame Award, recognising individuals who have made a valuable contribution above and beyond the norm to assist and show leadership in the protection and development of the Boating Industry.

The Award is not made every year, but only where the NSW State Council considers it fit and proper. In 2016, the State Council determined that the criteria had been ably met and they conferred the industry’s most prestigious award on the very worthy recipient of Anthony (Tony) Griffin. The Award was presented at the Sydney International Boat Show Official Breakfast by BIA National President Alan Blake, with an extract from the citation reading: “Tony Griffin whom it could be said was virtually born into the Boating Industry. The son of a well known boat builder and designer, John Griffin, Tony has spent his life in and around Pittwater and completed a trade certificate in engineering.

Following a period of working in North Queensland on the production of the Fremantle class patrol boats, Tony returned to Pittwater to work within the boating industry, establishing his own business, Griffin Marine in 1982.

Early in the 1990s Tony developed a keen interest in the environment and in particular how waterfront businesses, interact with it. He recognised some serious challenges to his industry when environmental issues posed a threat to industry work practices and reputation within the community. Tony considered that if the industry could address environmental issues in a positive and proactive way the industry’s development would be assured with the additional benefit of the protection and enhancement of our waterways. The aim being an industry caring for the environment, whilst delivering essential services to the recreational boating community.

Tony was a leading member of the Marina Association of NSW, serving for over 20 years on the committee, including as Environmental Chairman. During this time so began a period of achievement, with many projects and accomplishments recorded, with the valuable assistance of BIA staff, fellow committee members of the Marina Association and other Divisions within the BIA. Tony has been the first to acknowledge that he sometimes had taken a lead role, however the achievements were a real Association team effort Tony’s unstinting support for the BIA and his industry colleagues 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. These include: • In 2000, BIA joined the EPA’s Industry Partnership Program establishing a process of environmental auditing and training • In 2002 the program expanded to cover the whole state and conducted multiple environmental education seminars.

The industry learnt to carry out their own assessments, develop site specific operational and environmental plans of management.

• The materials developed would morph into the Clean Marinas Accreditation Program, a highly successful program which today is available to marinas around Australia and SE Asia.

• At the 2005 EPA Industry Partnership Program Awards, the EPA recognised the outstanding achievement of the BIANSW with two awards: winner in the category of Project Management Award in recognition of initiating and successfully managing Assessment Guides for Boating Facilities to Promote Ecologically Sustainable Developments; and from a field of over 400 entrants, the BIA was awarded the overall BEST Industry Association Project.

• In 2007 Tony was engaged by the EPA to write the current Environmental Guidelines for Marinas, Boatsheds and Slipways. This publication is still known as the Industry’s Bible and the first point of reference for environmental matters.

• Responding to requests for support from the industry, Tony worked with Work Cover to develop an industry best practice document that was ultimately led to the development of the Marine Card Program, the NSW-originated OHS training program now completed by over 3,000 contractors around Australia.

Tony said at the time “the results we achieved are of enormous benefit to marina operators and, more importantly, are credible with Government because the Government was a part of the conception, involved in the management of the project, provided the funding and were witness to the outcomes of the Project. The outcomes were tangible and reflect the industry’s commitment to environmental improvement.”

Tony sold his business, Griffin Marine, in 2012 and moved to the Central Coast. As a true testament to his character and love for the boating industry he continues his environmental work, routinely assisting members at little of no cost to navigate complex Environmental, and Work Health & Safety compliance issues whilst meeting the challenges of protecting the marine environment.

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.”

South Australia

SA infrastructure project A major review of the management of the infrastructure development process in SA is underway, led by BIA under a contract awarded by the Department of Transport and Infrastructure. This project is reported elsewhere in Logbook on page 29.

River Murray strategy – One Murray Over the course of the last two years, the BIA has worked with the South Australian EPA and other state agencies to tackle the problem of non-compliant, live-aboard and abandoned boats on the River Murray. 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, lowerstandard, older houseboats being available from the more regulated eastern states, a complex set of issues covering the environment, safety and personal welfare has arisen.

A proposal to develop a strategy for dealing with these issues across multiple agencies has been promoted and readily endorsed by stakeholders. At the Riverland Local Government Forum earlier in 2016, agency heads, local councils and regional development authorities endorsed the proposal and moved to broaden the concept to be a Wholeof-Murray approach to look also at economic growth and strengthening local communities. BIA continues to work with the various stakeholders to ensure the core objective of delivering a solution to the environmental and safety concerns is not diluted or lost in the larger program, with the SA Boating Infrastructure Program taking a key interest in this.

Safety management on the River Murray The easy access of the River Murray from Adelaide has seen a significant increase in boating activity, particularly in the most popular boating areas around the towns between Murray Bridge and Renmark. To address concerns that changing demographics of boaters may start to conflict, a unique project to deliver safety and community awareness messages was developed in early 2016 by the River Murray Boating and Recreational Advisory Group.

With support from SA Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Stephen Mullighan, in the form of a community grant, RMBRAG commissioned and produced a series of nine short educational videos and a Code of Conduct for watersports on the river. The video series was themed to capture the attention of its target audience, 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 behaviour when participating in watersports, it has been an undoubted success with several hundred thousand views on the dedicated RMBRAG Facebook site.

The videos were promoted to the Australia New Zealand Safe Boating Education Group in May and 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. As of early November, all seven councils with a connection with the Murray had taken up the campaign with new signage installed.

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Speed limit changes to improve safety

Queensland

While reducing speed limits is often used as a means to reduce accidents on the road, the same is not always true on the water, particularly in areas of high traffic and congested waterways around boat ramps, reserves and popular mooring spots. An issue identified in 2015 raised concerns that the 4 knot speed restriction adjacent to Long Island at Murray Bridge was adversely affecting safety due to watersports participants being unwilling to transit the zone at low speed to reach clearer waters.

The speed restriction was introduced in response to severe drought-induced river bank slumpings in 2009, however, with greatly improved flow and water level conditions in recent years, combined with a significant increase in local boat ramps by watersports boaters, several near-miss incidents between boaters had occurred due to the over-concentration of boats in the area upstream of Long Island. A series of discussions with City of Murray Bridge Council and deputations to the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure and Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources led to an agreement by the Council to support the removal of the speed restriction for a 12-month trial period.

Due to the archaic nature of the state boating legislation, the Harbours and Navigation Act, it took several months for a suitable amendment to the regulations to be drafted and passed by the SA Parliament. This has now been done and the lifting of the speed restriction was gazetted in early October. The BIA has thanked the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure for his support in passing this amendment and has additionally renewed its offer to work with the SA Government on a review of the marine legislation, so that similar safety issues may in future be dealt with more expeditiously.

Engaging members, meeting stakeholders

Member visits An extensive program of member visits during 2016 has seen all SA members visited at least once at their place of business, in addition to during boat shows and other events.

This has been well received by the membership and has also resulted in renewed interest from lapsed members and new entrants to the sector.

Christmas is coming...

It’s time to get the cobwebs off your trailerboat and check out the waterways this Christmas.

Gift ideas for the family could include some upgraded safety gear, perhaps an engine service at your local BIA member and of course a trailer inspection to ensure the wheel bearings, hitches and rollers are up to a serviceable standard.

Driving on the road and water requires care - so don’t rush your trip to your destination. Practice commonsense, care and courtesy on the road and water.

Be part of the boating community

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Since establishing a presence in Queensland in early March with the appointment of Aaron McKenna as East Coast Manager, BIA has worked hard to reconnect with members in the state, particularly in the SE Queensland region, with a focus on Brisbane and Gold Coast, recognising the significance of the marine sector in the area. With the support of long-time association team member Jenny Bellaver, communications and engagement with members in the area has picked up considerably and there is now a regular discussion on topics and issues concerning the industry locally.

The BIA Queensland State Council has met every six weeks or so throughout the year to progress an agenda of industry representation and advocacy, including rebuilding a strong relationship with Maritime Safety Queensland and other State Government agencies with an interest in the boating sector. This has included working closely with the Queensland Recreational Boating Council and the Boatsafe Training Association to ensure the wider boating community is also represented and to build stronger connections between the industry association and members’ customers.

The BIA has also joined with a coalition of other boating and sporting organisations to support a campaign to restore the Broadwater as a boating venue. Over the years, the lack of ongoing dredging has meant that large areas of the Broadwater are unsafe for navigation. Working with Sports Gold Coast, we are developing arguments for sustainable dredging, and exploring the opportunities that would result for major national and international boating events if this occurs.

Gold Coast and Brisbane member evenings Following the success of the member engagement at the Brisbane Boat Show in August, BIA Member Services presented the first in a series of Member Forums in Gold Coast and Brisbane in mid-September, taking advantage of the BIA National Board meeting in Brisbane for the first time.

BIA National CEO Howard Glenn led the team to update members on activities and objectives for the BIA over the next 12 months, with more than 40 members receiving updates on a wide range of issues and projects.

Reports on recent events, including the very successful Brisbane Boat Show, the relaunch of boat registration data reporting and the roll out of the Marinecard Access Management System gave members a good insight into the work of the BIA to help develop members’ businesses, the core objective of the association. A key highlight of the BIA work program was provided by Howard with a detailed review of the BIA advocacy platform, including waterways access and infrastructure development, reducing the regulatory burden and industry professional development.

Members attending the events at Southport Yacht Club and the Hamilton Hotel were hosted by the full BIA management team, plus BIA President Alan Blake and several National Board Members, providing the opportunity to discuss a range of local issues and get detailed updates on specific sectoral issues facing the industry nationally. Meetings of the brokers and marina divisions were also held in conjunction with the member evenings, delivering a full program of industry support for those able to attend.

North Queensland member visit Over the last three months, East Coast Manager Aaron McKenna has made a series of visits to members in north Queensland in and around Mackay and Airlie Beach, recognising that they have 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 in early October, 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.

BIA National CEO Howard Glenn joined this second visit and took the opportunity to meet with tourism and economic development agencies and other marine industry players in the region to discuss local topics, 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.

The overall impression of the visit was that business is busy with great opportunities for enhancing BIA’s support for local industry, which will be factored in to the BIA business plan for 2017 and beyond.

As a demonstration of the support available from BIA, Howard and Aaron also attended a meeting with the Whitsundays charter boat operators and AMSA to discuss standards for charter yachts, delivering on a BIA commitment made at the Sanctuary Cove Boat Show to help speed up the publication of NSCV F2 Leisure Craft.

To wrap things up, Aaron also made presentations on the BIA Access Management System to Mackay Marina, Abell Point Marina, Hamilton Island Marina and Port of Airlie, with all expressing strong interest in rolling out the AMS program in the area. BIA will be able to support this with excellent backup for marine contractors in way of the online Marinecard training and the new Steadfast IRS Contractors package.

Coomera office A key part of strengthening the BIA presence in Queensland has been the establishment of a local office, to provide a focus point for members and a base from which to expand the BIA team’s role in the state.

With support from Gold Coast City Marina, a small office has been set up within the marina precinct in Coomera, providing a home base for East Coast Manager Aaron McKenna.

The office is staffed during normal hours, but only when Aaron is not out and about visiting members or stakeholders.

There are plans in place to expand the office suite and to support Aaron with an assistant to be based in the office, providing a more reliable contact point for members in the area.

Members needing to visit the office will find it at Level 1/50, 76-84 Waterway Drive, Gold Coast City Marina, Coomera.

Boat registration data Members in Queensland have enjoyed access to regular reporting on boat registration for several years, based on data provided by Queensland Transport and Main Roads.

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. BIA undertook to review the origins of the data with TMR and in the months leading up to the Brisbane Boat Show, a thorough analysis and crosscheck of data was made 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.

This was discussed with TMR in September and the resulting understanding of how to manage inconsistencies allowed the relaunch of the quarterly publication of month-by-month brand-based new registrations in Queensland. The report will be updated quarterly on receipt of data from TMR and provided to members via the secure BIA members-only website.

While every effort is taken to present an accurate picture of registration data, there is still scope for inconsistencies and BIA values members’ feedback where they identify something that doesn’t look correct.

One of the elements of verifying the data reported by TMR was a review of new boats on display at the Brisbane Boat Show. The BIA Member Services team conducted an audit of boat brands and engine brands by power band, providing an invaluable insight into the overall market offering and a good benchmark for future events to track trends in boat sales. A report on the audit was provided to show exhibitors and is reproduced in Logbook for reference.

As part of the analysis work, BIA developed a new dataset capable of reporting against multiple criteria across the statewide 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 was provided to members at the Brisbane Boat Show, with 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.

Download BIA Logbook Logbook is now available from BIA’s website www. bia.org.au The Logbook newsletter is now made widely available to members, staff, boat owners, government and the general public. It can be downloaded as a PDF file and printed.

BIA LOGBOOK Summer 2016/2017 - 11

Sandgate trade skills centre

Compression Test.

In May, BIA attended the opening by The Hon Wayne Swan of the Metro North Trade Skills Centre at Sandgate High School, a new $1.4M academy offering Cert II qualifications as part of final year school studies.

BIA members present were impressed by the professionalism of the setup and considered the initiative an excellent addition to the generally limited skills and training centres available to the marine industry.

The academy will offer initially Cert II Engineering Pathways and Cert II Automotive Vocational Preparation Training – Marine and Motorcycle, and BIA will continue to engage with the academy to help promote opportunities to members, support development of apprentice programs and ultimately the expansion of the program to further disciplines, related to industry demand.

Access to workplace advice for Boating Industry Association members Call 13 29 59 to connect to a team of dedicated and experienced workplace professionals who can answer your questions on workplace matters such as pay and conditions, superannuation and leave.

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12 - Summer 2016/2017 BIA LOGBOOK

Northern Territory A

visit to Darwin at the end of May to attend the biannual ANZSBEG meeting provided the opportunity to visit past BIANT 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 elsewhere across the country.

The September Darwin Boat Show reported good business and reflected the generally positive tone of conversations from visits in May. During 2017, BIA will be revisiting industry members in NT with the aim of establishing a strong membership base there, working with the local members and NT agencies to provide support on relevant issues.

Connections with members in other states

BIA has maintained an open dialogue with BIAVic and BIAWA throughout 2016, providing representation on matters of national and international relevance. In agreement with both, BIA has been managing various national projects including the Marine17 Conference, Marine Industry Foundation and ICOMIA Congress 2017, and will be reporting on these projects to members in other states in an end of year round-up.

In line with discussions with state registration agencies, BIA will also be making proposal for a new management system for the Manufacturers Identity Code in 2017, connecting this with the need for better compliance monitoring and development of industry statistics.

List a Job Vacant List a Job Wanted for free

www.bia.org.au The BIA website has an active Jobs Vacant or Jobs Wanted notice board.

Listing a Job Vacant or Job Wanted is simple and can be done online.

Go to the BIA home page www.bia.org.au or www.bia.org.au/employment Listings are usually loaded onto the website within 24 hours.

For assistance, please contact Justine Merrony justine@bia.org.au or Linda English linda@bia.org.au Phone: (02) 9438 2077

Issues & Projects updates Boating safety focus for 2016/2017

O

ver the past three or four years, the ANZSBEG group – the state boating safety agencies and associated groups including the BIA – have delivered programs to increase lifejacket wear rates among recreational boaters, with the clear objective of a reduction in fatalities associated with boating.

The initiative started in NSW to provide boaters with new, modern lifejackets in exchange for old, less-effective jackets, has had great success with over 15,000 new jackets issued under the Old4New program.

At the Hillarys Boat Show in WA, the state Department of Transport ran their own campaign which was met with a very enthusiastic take-up by show-goers.

The BIA then ran the campaign, with support from Transport for NSW, at the Adelaide and Brisbane boat shows in June and August: several hundred new auto-inflate lifejackets were exchanged for old jackets, with many more new jackets also purchased directly from retailers where the exchange jacket was not suitable. In all, a great take-up of the campaign across the country in 2016.

However, the reports from state agencies to the May meeting of ANZSBEG in Darwin showed that while lifejacket wear rates were increasing – with some states reporting more than 50% wear rates – there were also concerns raised about the condition of jackets being worn, particularly with regard to inflatable lifejackets.

Tasmania reported, for example, that while 80% of lifejackets worn were inflatables, only 2% were documented to be properly serviced, whether this be self-service by the boater or by a manufacturer’s appointed service centre.

A new program to raise awareness among boaters of the need to ensure inflatable lifejackets are properly maintained is to be launched, with BIA and industry members asked to support the message to boaters when purchasing new lifejackets.

The motto that wearing a lifejacket never ruined a day on the water only holds true if that lifejacket actually performs when required.

The other key area of focus for boating safety agencies is paddle craft.

With an estimated more than 1 million paddle craft of all forms now in use in Australia, there is an appreciation that without direct access to such boaters via a licensing or registration system, delivering safe boating, or safe paddling, messages is complicated. A number of state agencies are developing safety communication programs and this is supported by Australian Canoeing, a new member to the ANZSBEG team.

Again, the boating industry will be asked to support promotion of safety messages at point of sale, although it was recognised that many paddle craft purchases are not made with traditional marine retailers, rather the likes of outdoor equipment stores and other lifestyle accessory shops.

Without a recognised representative body for recreational boaters or paddlers, the BIA and members are looked to as a key starting point for engaging with the community and indeed representing their interests. This is not necessarily the real role of an industry association, however it is very much in

BIA’s and members’ interests that we can all support the safe boating message and work to ensure that education of boaters is the number one route to safety over additional regulation.

Australian Builders Plate – 10 years on

T

he Australian Builders Plate was introduced in stages across different states in late 2006 to early 2007. As a mandatory requirement for all new boats sold in Australia, the ABP set out to improve safety of boats and for boaters by defining minimum standards for powered vessels covering buoyancy, maximum load and powering.

Ten 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.

However, as with all such things, 10 years on BIA is aware that some of the finer detail of the ABP 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 – both domestic manufacture and import – that are not compliant with the ABP. A contributing factor in this is the known lack of enforcement by relevant agencies, which has undoubtedly led to a level of complacency.

Unlike the automotive sector, while similar standards and rules are in place with regard to design, construction and registration, the disparity between state regulation, absence of a national database of compliant product and no system to validate supporting documentation means enforcement of ABP compliance is only ever a post-incident activity and then very rare. BIA is in discussion with state marine safety and registration agencies about an industry-led solution to this current state of play and will be making proposals to address the problem early in 2017.

BIA is always available to support members with queries about the ABP and related requirements, by contacting Nik Parker at nik@bia.org.au Members are recommended to also review the ABP requirements, including the ABP standard, available online at http://www.anzsbeg.com.au/index.php/boating-safely/ australian-builders-plate/

AMSA Cost recovery proposals

T

he Federal Government has standing requirements that federal agencies tasked with regulatory compliance of industry sectors should be operating under a cost recovery model, with fees and charges applied to the delivery of service to the specific sector concerned.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority is one such agency, regulating the commercial vessel sector in Australia.

In July 2017, AMSA will assume full control of the administration of domestic commercial vessels, taking over the previous role of state marine safety agencies which has been in transition since the National Law for Domestic Commercial Vessels was introduced in 2013.

BIA LOGBOOK Summer 2016/2017 - 13

Issues & Projects updates In order to address cost recovery obligations, AMSA recently made proposals for a new scale of fees for service and a levy on commercial vessels in order to raise the required annual funding. AMSA has calculated the required funding to be approx. $25M per year, an apparent near 50% saving on the actual costs of state agencies delivering the same services in the past.

However, under state-based survey arrangements in the past, costs recovery has been less than 100% and in some cases less than 25% of the actual cost of delivering survey services. The new levy proposed by AMSA has therefore turned into a 100% increase in regulatory costs for commercial vessels, or more, in many instances.

The proposal provided for options for the levy, both based on a charge related to the length of a vessel, with the second option modifying this with a Class-based factor. The ensuing consultation, conducted during September and earlier October, did not provide for any alternate to the imposition of a levy.

In light of extensive feedback from members, including via a survey conducted by BIA, a submission was made to AMSA’s consultation by BIA on behalf of members generally – noting that a significant proportion are 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. The submission acknowledged that some element of cost recovery would be inevitable, however this must be phased in over a period of time, with adjustment mechanisms in place to deliver AMSA’s required funding from general Government revenue.

Recent communications from AMSA have 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.

Further advice as to how AMSA will respond is awaited and BIA will update members in due course.

go easy

on the drink Don’t go overboard with alcohol The blood alcohol limit on the water is the same as on the roads – 0.05%. Be careful as the wind, waves and the sun multiply the effects of alcohol.

RBT also applies on waterways www.bia.org.au p. 02 9438 2077 For employment in the marine industry log onto the BIA website and click on “Employment & Training” For boating weather go to www.bom.gov.au/marine Be part of the boating community

14 - Summer 2016/2017 BIA LOGBOOK

National standards for commercial vessels

T

he standards supporting regulation of commercial vessels have now been in use for a number of years and several are now subject to review and update based on learnings from actual use.

The principal standard impacting BIA members operating in the commercial vessel sector is NSCV F2 Leisure Craft, covering all types of hire and drive, charter and boat rental business models.

This document was last published in 2011 but was little used until the National Law was introduced, and then only for new-build vessels or new operations.

Low-risk operations alternate qualifications

F

ollowing reports of an increase in enforcement of compliance with commercial vessel crew qualifications for low-risk marina tender operations in some areas of NSW in late 2014, BIA has been working with the State and Federal marine safety agencies to find a solution to what has not previously been considered a problem.

A conflict between regulated and historically-enforced state regulations and then new national regulations overriding such in way of new operations since July 2013 led to the need to review the crewing qualifications for inland non-passenger vessels of less than 12m, noting 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 Ex38, similarly was too onerous for many operations and required extensive off-the-job training for each crew member.

BIA made a proposal to the Federal regulator, AMSA, in early 2016 to make use of the BIA Marinecard as a means of assessing and verifying competency to operate a low-risk commercial vessel, based on the operator having general boating licence and the business operating under an agreed formal safety management plan.

This proposal, while slightly modified with regard to specific vessel sizes and operational conditions, has now been accepted and AMSA is in the process of amending the existing Exemption 38 which covers relevant qualifications.

With a cohort of some 3,000+ Marinecard holders already known to BIA, the ability to now extend to these industry members a certification to crew or skipper low-risk commercial vessels in inland waters will be a significant benefit to the industry.

The BIA welcomes this decision by AMSA and believes 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.

Full details of the new arrangements will be communicated to members as soon as the relevant regulatory documents have been published, but any member seeking clarification or in need of assistance to manage crewing compliance problems should contact the BIA for guidance.

Marine engine emission regulations

I

n December 2015 the then Minister for the Environment Greg Hunt confirmed his intentions to introduce marine engine emission legislation into Australia during 2016, with regulations and standards to follow.

Acknowledged at the time by the Department of the Environment as being an ambitious timetable, since the July 2016 Federal Election, there has been no further progress to develop the legislation or standards.

A workshop held by BIA Victoria in July 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 following the workshop and to incoming Minister Josh Frydenberg, but to date has yet to receive a reply.

BIA is aware that many Members are concerned to understand the detail of any new legislation and the impact of standards controlling emissions. Specific detail on what is to be covered and how it is to be regulated has not yet been made available and indeed is yet to be opened up for public consultation. BIA continues to engage with the Department to assist with shaping the standards and legislation,

acknowledging the importance of the issue, but equally the need to provide industry with clear and timely guidance on future regulation.

The latest communication from the Department as at 4 November reads:

The Australian Government continues to develop the Commonwealth legislation that will set the regulatory framework needed to be able to set emission standards for nonroad spark ignition engines and equipment. The introduction of this legislation into Australia’s Parliament is subject to a busy parliamentary schedule and priorities, which can impact the anticipated timing for the subsequent emission standards to be made (as Rules).

During 2017, the Department of the Environment and Energy will be consulting with stakeholders on the proposed Rules ahead of the standards coming into effect. The Rules will detail the technical aspects and requirements of the standards themselves. At this stage, it is anticipated that the exhaust emission standards will come into effect in early 2018, although their actual start date will be determined in consideration of phase-in timeframes to allow for transitioning to compliant stock and the parliamentary schedule.

The Department plans to release more detailed information in the coming weeks. See: http://www.environment.gov.au/ protection/air-quality/non-road-spark-ignition-engines-andequipment The Department may also be contacted via email at: airquality@environment.gov.au

BIA LOGBOOK Summer 2016/2017 - 15

2016 Boat Show Circuit a solid success The 2016 circuit of boat shows has ended for 2016, and we’re using the research and feedback to plan an even better program for 2017.

We took primary responsibility for events in South Australia, NSW & Queensland, which ran successfully through July and August. Each show is specially crafted to meet the local market needs, and the shows also had their own special set of circumstances, and were all a little different from previous years.

The following is a summation of the show results, together with the insights from consumer research commissioned after the events.

Adelaide Boat Show 30 June to 3 July

The Adelaide Boat Show again operated from Adelaide Show Ground. The four-day event attracted just short of 9,000 visitors.

The show was delivered under the direction of local state manager George Bolton with the support of Kym Jones Exhibitions, which has been supporting the BIA in its delivery of this show for some time.

Demographic Summary

The demographic profile of the visitors to the 2016 Adelaide Boat Show was significantly different to the visitors to the other events, indicating that the Show and Marketing mix can be tailored to create an even stronger appeal within this market.

The average age of the visitors was significantly higher with almost 55% being over the age of 55 (compared to just 25% in Brisbane, for example). This resulted in a different mix of occupations with many more retirees, and fewer professionals for example, and a much lower average household income.

Over 50% of visitors came with their families, however just 14.9% of the respondents were female which was significantly lower than Brisbane and Sydney. There were far fewer interstate and international visitors compared to both Sydney and Brisbane.

• 14.9% of respondents were female • 55% of respondents were aged 55+ • 25% of respondents were Retired • 24% of respondents were Professionals / Managers • 38.1% of respondents had annual household incomes greater than $100,000

Boating Behaviour Summary

The boating behaviour of visitors to the Adelaide event is again different to the Brisbane and Sydney audiences. Although the number of boat owners was almost identical to Sydney (70.8%), there were again fewer Sailboat owners (10.2%).

Like Brisbane, ¾ of the Adelaide visitors that own a boat, owned a boat between 4 and 8 metres, and just 11.7% over 8 metres (compared to 38.2% in Sydney) with Fishing the most popular boating activity. However, the Adelaide visitors reported a much lower level of interest in cruising with just 25% reporting an interest (compared to 36% and 46% for Brisbane and Sydney respectively).

Although there were fewer high-frequency boaters within the Adelaide market (just 14.9% boating weekly), 60% of the audience were still going boating at least monthly. The proportion of visitors reporting their boating frequency is unchanged compared to 3 years ago was much higher than in Brisbane and Sydney, with almost 40% indicating no change indicating an underlying stability within the audience.

• 70.8% of respondents own a boat • 65.3% of boat owners own a powerboat • 10.2% of boat owners own a sailboat or yacht • 76% of boat owners have a 4-8 metre craft • 58.6% of visitors are going boating at least monthly • 38.6% of respondents indicate that they are boating about the same amount as 3 years ago.

Visitor Value

As outlined above, the demographics of the visitors are very different to the Brisbane and Sydney events, with the older demographic delivering significantly lower household

16 - Summer 2016/2017 BIA LOGBOOK

incomes. From a spending power perspective, 38.1% of the market had a household income of over $100,000 per annum, and 70.8% already owned a boat.

33.3% of visitors came to the Show expecting to make purchases, with 14.4% indicating that buying a boat was a very important reason to attend. Furthermore, 43.3% of respondents indicated that making purchases of other products at the Show was an important or very important reason for them to attend.

• 38.1% of respondents had a household income of over $100,000 • 70.8% of visitors own a boat • 33.3% of respondents came to the Show intending to purchase • 14.4% of respondents said that buying a boat was a very important reason to visit the Show • 43.3% of respondents said that buying other products was an important or very important reason to visit the

Sydney International Boat Show 28 July to 1 August

2016 was the final year of our occupancy of the Glebe Island facility. Our three-year tenancy delivered mixed results. Whilst attendance from both visitors and exhibitors was hindered, many described the location as an excellent, and with many exhibitors reporting excellent results.

45,747 visitors attended the show, reflecting a drop of show hours across both locations. The decrease in visitor numbers was almost exactly the same as the number that visited with a $5 after 5pm deal in the previous year, which was not repeated this year.

Demographic Summary

The demographic profile of the visitors to the 2016 Sydney International Boat Show remained fairly stable when compared to the 2015 data across most metrics.

However, there has been an increase in the proportion of visitors that are 25-44 years old with this category up from 23.5 in 2015 to 28.5 in 2016. This year also saw a reduction in the number of respondents indicating they were based overseas with just 1.8% of the survey sample responding in this way.

In comparison to 2015, this event saw a slight reduction in the number of Business Owners and an increase in the number of Tradespeople attending the Show, however, this has not had a significant impact on the value of the visitors with the household income metrics remaining fairly stable.

• 80.2% of respondents were male • 56.9% of respondents were aged 45-64 • 39.3% of respondents were Professionals / Managers • 18.4% of respondents were Business owners / Proprietors • 42.3% of respondents had annual household incomes greater than $150,000

Boating Behaviour Summary

Compared to 2015, this year saw a slight reduction in the proportion of respondents that owned a boat down from 75.9% to 71%. There was also a significant reduction in the proportion of respondents that owned a Sailboat which has decreased from 23.5% in 2015 to 17.1% in 2016.

Visitors this year were boating a little less frequently when compared to 2015 with the proportion of respondents reporting they go boating weekly down from 37.4% to 31%.

Time remained the most significant barrier to boating more often, however, this year saw a more even spread across the barriers with limited access to a boat and life-stage (i.e. young kids) also preventing the respondents from boating.

The most popular boating activity was fishing with over half of the respondents indicating that this was one of their boating interests. Cruising (power boating) was also very popular which was to be expected given the penetration of powerboat owners within the sample.

• 71% of respondents own a boat

BIA LOGBOOK Summer 2016/2017 - 17

• • • • •

57.1% of respondents own a powerboat 17.1% of respondents own a sailboat or yacht 71% of powerboat owners have a 4-8 metre craft 68.4% of sailboat owners have an 8-metre plus craft 42.8% of respondents indicate that they are boating more frequently than 3 years ago.

Visitor Value

Once again, the Sydney International Boat Show brought an audience of value to the sponsors and exhibitors of the Show.

From a spending power perspective, new data indicates that almost 20% of the visitor market has a household income of over $200,000 and from an onsite purchasing perspective, 33.3% of visitors came intending to make purchases at the show. Specifically, 20.8% of visitors indicated that buying a boat was an important or very important reason to visit the Show.

Demographically, almost 15% of visitors were from interstate or international markets, they were again predominantly professionals, managers and business owners and 71% already owned a boat.

• 15% of respondents were from interstate or international markets • 42.3% of respondents had a household income of over $150,000 • 20.8% of respondents had a household income of over $200,000 • 39.3% of respondents were Professionals / Managers • 18.4% of respondents were Business owners / Proprietors • 71% of respondents owned a boat • 33.3% of respondents came to the Show intending to purchase • 20.8% of respondents said that Buying a boat was an Important or Very important reason to visit the Show.

Brisbane Boat Show 19 to 21 August

This was the first show in Brisbane organised by the BIA’s Member Events and Marketing team. Numerous critical changes were made as a stepping stone to revitalising the event. A return to Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, less trading days and a move away from Fathers’ Day were just a few of the changes made.

12,300 visitors attended the show. Exhibitor feedback has been encouraging and it has been generally agreed that a foundation has been laid for the future growth of the show and further support of the industry.

Demographic Summary

The demographic profile of the visitors to the 2016 Brisbane Boat Show was significantly different to the visitors

18 - Summer 2016/2017 BIA LOGBOOK

to the Sydney event indicating that the Show and Marketing mix can be tailored to create an even stronger appeal within this market.

The average age of the visitors was significantly lower with almost 50% being under the age of 44 (compared to around 30% in Sydney). This resulted in a different mix of occupations with fewer Business Owners for example, and a lower average household income (though the marketplace is still very high-value).

Almost 2/3 of visitors came with their families which saw a much higher proportion of Female visitors compared to the Sydney event. Finally, there were far fewer interstate and international visitors which had a significant effect on the economic impact of the event.

• 30.3% of respondents were female • 68.1% of respondents were aged 25-54 • 33.2% of respondents were Professionals / Managers • 17.2% of respondents were Tradespeople • 62.1% of respondents had annual household incomes greater than $100,000 • 0.9% of respondents were from overseas • 4% of respondents were from interstate

Boating Behaviour Summary

As with the demographic profile, the boating behaviour of visitors to the Brisbane event is significantly different to Sydney. Although there were more visitors in Brisbane that didn’t own a boat (34.5%), the key difference was in the number of visitors that owned a sailboat which was a fraction of the Sydney number at just 4.6%.

This had flow-on impacts on the average size of craft with ¾ of the Brisbane visitors owning a boat between 4 and 8 metres, and just 11.3% over 8 metres (compared to 38.2% in Sydney), and 77.5% interested in Fishing as a boating type of interest (compared to 53.2% in Sydney).

Furthermore, as the sailors are much more likely to go boating weekly, the frequency of boating metrics were also significantly different with 20.1% boating weekly compared to 31% of the Sydney market.

However, this is much more a reflection on the type of boat owners as opposed to their level of engagement with boating which is still very strong. Over 60% of the audience still go boating at least monthly and 45.4% boating more often than they were 3 years ago.

• 65.5% of respondents own a boat • 62.5% of respondents own a powerboat • 4.6% of respondents own a sailboat or yacht • 74.5% of owners have a 4-8 metre craft • 60.1% of visitors are going boating at least monthly • 45.4% of respondents indicate that they are boating more frequently than 3 years ago.

Visitor Value

Although the demographics of the visitors are very different to the Sydney event, there is no doubt that this event is still attracting a very valuable visitor market.

From a spending power perspective, 62.1% of the market had a household income of over $100,000 per annum, and 65.5% already owned a boat.

34.4% of visitors came to the Show expecting to make purchases, with 19.2% indicating that buying a boat was an important or very important reason to attend. Furthermore, 34.7% of respondents indicated that making purchases of other products at the Show was an important or very important reason for them to attend.

• 62.1% of respondents had a household income of over $100,000 • 12.8% of respondents had a household income of over $200,000 • 65.5% of visitors own a boat • 34.4% of respondents came to the Show intending to purchase • 19.2% of respondents said that buying a boat was an important or very important reason to visit the Show • 34.7% of respondents said that buying other products was an important or very important reason to visit the Show

Some insights from our research data – combined shows Type of boats owned:

Perception of how often going boating compared to three years ago

Type of boating activity: Size of boats owned:

Frequency of going boating?

Gender of visitors:

BIA LOGBOOK Summer 2016/2017 - 19

Other leisure activities or sports participated in:

Age group of visitors:

h Footnote:

Research is conducted by Omnyfy targeting a mixture of existing and previous visitors to each show. Some data may vary slightly where the Origin of Visitor is also collected at ticketing Point of Purchase to create a greater sample size.

Marine Industry Foundation launches a program of industry giving back

C

onceived and launched in 2015, the Marine Industry Foundation has become the conduit by which associations and donors linked to the recreational and light commercial boating sector can channel their efforts.

The Foundation was established with twin goals: to broaden community access to the benefits of recreational boating, and to provide opportunity for employment, education and training within the marine industry.

The Foundation places particular emphasis on achieving measurable outcomes from every activity funded so that donors have a clear understanding of where their contribution is being used and what is being achieved.

MIF is registered by the Australian Charities and Not for Profit Commission and is a joint venture initiative between the MIA and the BIA. Its activities are directed by a Board chaired by BIA Chief Executive Howard Glenn, and comprising founding patron Jeff d’Albora, together with representatives of the BIA and MIA. An initial $50,000 to establish the Foundation was provided

by Jeff d’Albora, with a further $200,000 available from his

Boat shows in 2017

The BIA’s National Member Events and Marketing team has commenced planning for the 2017 events.

The centrepiece will be the 50th Anniversary Sydney International Boat Show, which returns to Darling Harbour, at the new International Convention Centre. Dates for shows in 2017 are: Adelaide: 30 June to 2 July – Adelaide showground Sydney: 3 to 7 August – ICC-Sydney and Cockle Bay Marina Darling Harbour Brisbane : 25 to 27 August – Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre For further information about the above data or future events, please contact any of the BIA team.

20 - Summer 2016/2017 BIA LOGBOOK

generous gift to matched other donors and fundraising on a dollar for dollar basis.

MIFs first public fundraising and grants presentation took place at the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron in July 2016 with over $38,000 in funds raised and the first grants announced.

There were 34 event sponsors and prize donors who contributed to the event and the end result highlights the generosity of all those involved. Some recognizable identities on the day included foundation patrons Kay Cottee AO and Jeff d’Albora, Jessica Watson OAM and guest speaker Rob Mundle OAM.

MIF Chairman Howard Glenn was delighted to be working for such a good cause.

“It is very rewarding for the BIA to be working with the MIA team for such a good cause. The generosity of industry and particularly Jeff d’Albora is somewhat humbling.

“As an industry we are blessed to be working in the business of providing happy and rewarding lifestyle opportunities. For our industry to step up and create a channel to broaden the cycle of happiness, is very special.

“We are working to ensure that key people in our industry get to know the Marine Industry Foundation and open their hearts in the years to come as the opportunities arise.”

Members of both the BIA and MIA together with other stakeholders and friends of our industry, will be invited to a number of activities and functions in the coming years, with the purpose of broadening the opportunities for the Foundation’s beneficiaries.

The first two grants have already been announced with contributions going to Fishers with Disabilities WA Inc (Fishability) and Sailability Middle Harbour Sydney.

For more information about the foundation, visit www. marinefoundation.org.au

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Sustaining regional coastal communities The BIA has been working on a new campaign aimed at sustaining and enhancing regional waterways and coastal communities in New South Wales.

Boating and maritime industry provide a key contribution to the social and economic well-being of NSW’s coastal communities. Getting out on the water is a big part of the liveability, lifestyle and attraction of NSW’s coastal towns.

R

ecreational boating within regional waterways contributes $2.8 billion to the economy, with the related industry of tourism generating a further $2.9 billion.

To enable the industry to continue to deliver these benefits, action from the Government is needed in two distinct areas.

Land Certainty

Certainty about the terms and conditions of property leases and licence agreements is crucial to sustainable marine business. Policy and legislation must be applied consistently across all waterways and should encourage business investment in infrastructure, renewal and improvement.

Adequate infrastructure Investment for Access and Safety

It is essential that waterways remain open and accessible.

Regional coastal communities need a capital works and maintenance program that is supported by adequate funding to enable the upgrade and maintenance of coastal assets and marine structures.

This includes wharves and jetties, coastal harbour infrastructure, break walls and dredging.

Satisfaction of these two pre-requisites will provide a setting that supports Coastal Economic Growth. However, promoting and leading economic growth on our waterways requires decisive action and leadership:

• A government and business partnership to identify appropriate sites, to develop new facilities and renew existing sites.

• A Coastal Infrastructure Team responsible for leading the projects that require coordination between a number of government agencies and industry.

The BIA is consulting members and visiting regional ports and waterways to gather information about growth and renewal opportunities in your area.

The campaign aims to identify the land management and investment initiatives required for maritime businesses to prosper and for boating to grow on the NSW coast.

launch into

summer boating Before you launch into summer boating fun and relaxation, spare a few moments to think about the following points: • Know the rules applicable to boating • Check your boat’s safety equipment and know how to use it • Check the serviceability of your boat’s outboard and trailer • Check for favourable weather forecasts before setting out • Let someone know where you intend to go boating and the time of your return • Go easy on the drink, stay under the .05 alcohol limit • Practice commsense, care and courtesy on the water

Be part of the boating community

BIA LOGBOOK Summer 2016/2017 - 23

Marine Card Program approaches milestone

W

ith almost a decade of history, the BIA’s Marine Card Program has matured with a formidable take-up and acceptance across industry.

The program helps businesses in the recreational marine industry manage their Work, Health & Safety obligations.

The law requires that controllers of work-places ensure that people coming on site to work have a basic understanding of WHS. Training for the Marine Card ensures that the holder has comprehensive, industry-specific WHS general induction.

Industry staff, contractors, and workers use the card as evidence that they have participated in the Marine Card induction. Many marinas, boat-yards and other marine worksites require the card as a condition of entry to the site.

Once the workplace controller has sighted the card, the requirements of the law for a safety induction are largely satisfied, although the venue should also deliver a site-specific induction which details specific hazards and safety procedures/ equipment at the venue.

On the Marine Card database, contractors can also store information about their insurance policies, so that a workplace controller can quickly check that any necessary insurances are current.

Marine Card has been in the market place for almost ten years now, and has continued to develop as technology improves. Until recently, training for the Marine Card was done in face to face courses around the country.

Christmas boating

With the Christmas season upon us and some well earned time off, take care on your local waterways. Here are some general safety tips • Ensure your boat has all the required safety gear and know how to use it.

• Check weather forecasts.

• Maintain a proper lookout at all times.

• Do not overload your boat.

• Use navigation lights at night.

• Go easy on the drink, stay under the .05 alcohol limit.

Be part of the boating community

24 - Summer 2016/2017 BIA LOGBOOK

Refresher courses have been offered online for some time, but this year has seen a great breakthrough.

Now Marine Card is available as an online course, available anywhere in the country. Course cost is $130.00 per person and is usually completed in under two hours.

And to address a special require ment of the law in Western Australia, which requires a “White Card” construction industry induction for some activities on marinas, the online course now has an option to get a White Card issued as well as the Marine Card, for a small extra charge.

Under modern Workplace Health & Safety (WHS) Law, everyone in the workplace has a responsibility for safety. The Marine Card system is an Australia-wide positive business tool.

Individuals, business owners and marine work sites all have an opportunity to better prepare to meet their WHS obligations.

With close to 4,000 Marine Card holders, the BIA now also offers a workplace Access Management System. This inexpensive system is designed to streamline and simplify Contractor access and compliance management on your business premises. Around 30 marinas and boat yards now use this to ensure that only contractors with induction and insurance can work onsite.

With 2017 approaching fast, have another look at the Marine Card System to see how it can support you or your business.

Regardless of whether you are an owner/operator of a commercial marine site, work for an employer, or are a contractor in the industry, the Work Health & Safety (WHS) Act 2011 requires you to play your part.

This is how you or your business can get involved and participate.

• If you are NOT a Marine Card holder, jump onto the website and complete the Online Marine Card WHS General Induction.

• Check out your personal Profile online and make sure your details are up-to-date.

• If you are a business with many contractors coming on site, talk to us to get a demonstration of the Access Management System, so you can manage your WHS compliance • If you have an expired Marine Card, complete the refresher course ASAP. To maintain the validity of your card’s online profile, your refresher must be completed every 5 years. h For further information, speak to any of our Marine Card Specialists at the BIA: • Alan Barrett – (02) 8197 4761 • Corrina McMillan – (02) 8197 4758 • Aaron McKenna – 0430 115 043 Or visit the web site www.marinecard.org.au to get the process started.

Marine17 International Conference Save the date The third edition of the whole-of-industry conference and exhibition, Marine17, will be hosted by BIA and MIA from 30 July to 1 August at the new International Convention Centre, Sydney, immediately ahead of the 50th anniversary Sydney International Boat Show.

We expect over 500 business and industry leaders, together with senior stakeholders from government and other agencies from across Australia and the SE Asia region. Marine17 will be an important forum for considering and planning the industry’s future for the next several years.

Members are strongly recommended to save these dates and ensure they are in Sydney next July/August for a weeklong celebration of the boating industry in Australia. Early Bird registration opens in February and BIA members will benefit from delegate rates unchanged from previous conferences, plus a very generous multiple-delegate pricing plan. Full information is available at www.marine17.com

Program and speakers The Marine17 program will be delivered in four key segments: • boating business – manufacturers, retailers, dealers • marinas, • boating safety and, • commercial vessels – hire and drive, charter yachts, smaller passenger boats.

BIA and MIA are developing the program for the first two segments, or streams. Our official Partner in Boating Safety is Transport for NSW, and our Conference Partner is the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. These two partners will take the lead in developing content for the latter two streams respectively.

An important aspect of Marine17, however, is integration or cross-over between streams and industry sectors: a program of more than 60 sessions providing information, education and inspiration will be the drawcard for all leaders of the boating industry in Australia. Increasingly we are seeing interest from the expanding recreational boating sector in SE Asia nations, to learn from their peers and specially-selected international presenters.

The full conference program will be launched in early 2017, covering topics that will help business owners and senior

managers make key decisions in the next 12-24 months and provide ideas and tips on programs to deliver real benefit as soon as they get back to the office, yard or factory.

Ahead of this the Organising Committee is pleased to announce that key international speakers will include: Jeff Hoedt, recently retired head of the US Coast Guard Recreational Boating Division, speaking on the importance of industry and safety regulators working together; Aaron Weiceh, of Get Five Stars and well known on the US marine industry conference circuit explaining the importance of customer feedback and how to generate great results from peer-to-peer recommendations.

Other speakers will be announced with the program launch and will feature in pre-conference interviews with Marine17 media partner Marine Business.

Exhibition and sponsorship opportunities A major part of the Marine17 event is the trade exhibition and industry networking, presenting an excellent setting for doing business with new clients or renewing friendships with long-standing customers. The exhibition hall will be the focus of all meal and refreshment breaks. The Marine17 Welcome Reception will provide exhibitors with a great opportunity to showcase their products and services.

For those exhibitors with both a business-to-business and business-to-consumer focus, an exciting package has been negotiated with the Sydney International Boat Show team to provide for a stand relocation and dual exhibition pricing incentive. All exhibition stands are a 3x3m shell-scheme. With sales already underway, members or their suppliers interested in exhibiting should contact the Marine17 team without delay.

An exhibition stand is not always the preferred or best way of reaching the target audience and to support this, Marine17 has a portfolio of sponsorship opportunities available. Many companies find this is a great way of being involved and with exposure for leading sponsors starting as soon as they join Marine17, it can be a very cost-effective way of developing exposure of a brand.

Full information on Marine17 exhibition and sponsorship opportunities is available at www.marine17.com or members can contact BIA Special Events Manager Phil McDermott on 02 8197 4755.

go boating these holidays With high levels of boating activity expected over the school holidays be prepared.

• Ensure all the required safety gear is on board, accessible and in good condition.

• Wear a lifejacket; it won’t ruin a day on the water. Children under 12 must wear a lifejacket and adults must when on a vessel under 4.8m, when off shore, alone and at night.

• Check the engines, sails and rigging are all in good working order.

• Check the weather. Tell someone where you are going and expect to return.

www.bia.org.au p. 02 9438 2077 For employment in the marine industry log onto the BIA website and click on “Employment & Training” For boating weather go to www.bom.gov.au/marine Be part of the boating community

BIA LOGBOOK Summer 2016/2017 - 25

International update International associations The International Council of Marine Industry Associations is the voice of the recreational marine industry worldwide.

It was formed in 1967 and now brings together over 40 members, covering countries in 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 Graeme 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 and the Australian 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.

Alongside ICOMIA is the International Federation of Boat Show Organisers, which represents the leading boat shows around the world. These shows are a mix of industry-owned and commercial boat shows, but all are of world-class and set the benchmark for boat shows everywhere. The Sydney International Boat Show is a senior member of IFBSO. Every year, ICOMIA and IFBSO hold a combined Congress to receive reports on project work, international and local issues and to set the agenda for representation and promotion of the global industry, boat show program and promotion of the boating lifestyle.

Congress 2016 report and learning The 50th Congress of the International Council of Marine Industry Associations was held in early June in Italy, with more than 30 countries represented at the week of meetings.

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

26 - Summer 2016/2017 BIA LOGBOOK

members operating in such markets now or could find their way into Australian legislation in the future.

Grow boating – sustaining the industry The promotion of the boating lifestyle and increasing the prosperity of the recreational marine industry is a key objective of ICOMIA and its members and one of the most important meetings at Congress is the Grow Boating group.

The US has always been seen as the leading player in this sphere and the BIA’s equivalent in the US, the National Marine Manufacturers Association, has run a program called Discover Boating with great success for several years. Efforts to stimulate the boating sector since the GFC have been particularly successful in the US with NMMA reporting in June a fifth straight year of industry growth.

The NMMA has generated a considerable portfolio of boating promotion materials and has made these available to other ICOMIA members for use in domestic grow boating campaigns: the individuality of different country’s boating markets and cultures is clearly evident in the various campaigns, but all come back to the same starting point that boating is one of the most enjoyable and most enjoyed recreational pastimes.

The NMMA has built a significant marketing platform for Discover Boating based on direct financial contributions from its industry members, whether a charge per horsepower of engines, per metre of boat or a percentage of exhibition space rates for equipment manufacturers and retailers at NMMApresented boat shows.

The success of this campaign, now presented as Welcome to the Water, is clearly down to the willingness of the US industry to contribute to a collectively-funded program of promotional events, traditional marketing and increasingly a significant social media presence with over 100,000 visitors per month to many of the platforms NMMA uses.

End of life boats A key focus of the industry internationally, particularly in Europe, is the matter of end of life of boats, or what to do with old boats.

The matter is of growing importance as recreational boat fleets expand and age, with now many tens of thousands of abandoned boats, many constructed of non-or-not-easy-torecycle materials, lying in boatyards, inland waterways and other locations awaiting a solution as to how to dispose or re-use.

ICOMIA and individual members have been considering this matter for several years, with various efforts to deal with

old boats being tried in Japan, France, Sweden and Italy. All have involved the dismantling and crushing of boat structures, and sometimes use of the resulting materials in road-fill but more usually disposal in landfill or incineration.

To date, none of these projects have been able to show a viable means of dealing with old boats.

ICOMIA has presented a number of conferences and industry briefings on the topics of end of life of boats and with increasing interest here in Australia about how to manage abandoned boats, there will need to be a conversation started soon about how to respond. Learnings from the next ICOMIA event, scheduled to be held at the annual METS trade show in Amsterdam in mid-November, will be reviewed and presented as part of the Marine17 program next year.

regulation to support and sustain the recreational boating sector, with a particular focus on regulation enabling free trade within key markets and globally. Many of the regulatory pressures now felt by businesses around the world, in whichever sector, originate in Europe with a very mature legislative framework and increasing focus on improving environmental and social outcomes.

ICOMIA works hard to understand and quantify the impacts of new trends of legislation and is actively involved in a variety of debates whether this be rules for engine emissions, health and safety best practice related to carcinogenic substances used in manufacturing or defining new standards for fire protection systems.

The work program is very broad and requires that ICOMIA engages specialists in relevant disciplines, in addition to drawing on members’ own technical expertise. BIA gains great insight to the likely legislative landscape expected to find its way to Australia in the future and is well placed to draw on the strength of ICOMIA and its many experts to help shape regulation and standards here.

The Australian Builders Plate standard, for example, draws heavily on the standards for small craft developed in Europe and the US and by following industry best practice developed in consultation with ICOMIA and its members, Australian industry can be assured that it is able to compete in the international market, at least on a technical standards level.

Congress 2017 – International Boating Week

Global statistics ICOMIA publishes an annual report on marine industry statistics, covering all member countries with additional insights to how the global and regional economies are faring.

Data for the report is generated by the ICOMIA members and from library sources of economic data and is presented as the most authoritative commentary on the state of play of the global recreational marine industry. Key findings of the latest report – data to end 2015 – suggest that the industry is doing well, with more than 60% of businesses internationally reporting a positive outlook for the next three years. With over 180 million people considered as boaties around the world, there is good reason to be optimistic.

Other big picture numbers demonstrate the scale and significance of the recreational marine industry and are a valuable talking point for advocacy and representation: • 100,000 marine businesses around the world • One million employees • $65bn manufacturing turnover • 30 million recreational boats • 25,000 marinas BIA contributes to the report each year but is often unable to present a full set of data to match other ICOMIA members, such as the US, UK, France and Italy, all of which provide a detailed analysis of the profile of their domestic industry by unit sales, values, employment, region etc. BIA will be working to improve its data collection during 2017 making use of the model employed by many other ICOMIA members.

Technical and environmental regulation ICOMIA has for many years taken the lead in developing

The closing of the 50th Congress confirmed that BIA would be hosting the 2017 Congress, for the first time since 2002. This is an important role in the management of the international marine industry’s representation and the Australian industry is well placed to help shape future policy and industry development.

For the 2017 Congress, BIA as the host member is building a week of events from 22-28 May to be centred around Main Beach, Gold Coast.

Planning is now well underway to deliver a full program of industry education and promotion to the global ICOMIA and IFBSO membership, with Congress itself to coincide with the ASMEX export and superyacht conference and the Sanctuary Cove Boat Show.

Around 100 international delegates are expected to join the Congress and BIA will be developing opportunities for local industry members to engage with this important grouping of industry leaders. The full program of events will be announced soon.

BIA LOGBOOK Summer 2016/2017 - 27

New insurance solutions for marine contractors, through BIA Marine Insurance

T

he partnership between the BIA and Steadfast-IRS has been incredibly productive over the years – with the travel insurance that is built into BIA membership fees one of the most popular services we provide. Formerly known as IC Frith Insurance Brokers, Steadfast-IRS is taking things further and has now come up with a new product to give marine contractors peace of mind with their business insurance.

James Finucane, head of Steadfast’s Marine Division says that there are two key issues that face small business marine contractors: time and finding someone who understands what they need.

The Steadfast team works to ensure all insurances are together and current. And tailored insurance packages ensure only the needs of that specific business are covered. As well as saving money by avoiding unnecessary coverage, there is a monthly payment option to help business cash flow avoid a single lump sum payment.

The Steadfast Partnership with the BIA has also resulted in more benefits for the insured. Risk Management may not be top of mind for some, but effective risk management assists greatly to minimise insurance claims, and therefore keeps your future insurance costs low. The good news is that being a member of the BIA is recognised as being part of a risk management strategy.

As a member of the BIA you receive regular Industry information across many topics, many with a safety focus.

This assists a business to understand the risks they face, and learn best practice for minimising any unfortunate incidences.

Public Liability claims can be challenging in time, money

NB. This offer is available to any business Australia wide, however the $150 credit is only applicable to membership and services offered by the Boating Industry Association Ltd, the organisation formed through the amalgamation of the Boating Industry Association of NSW, SA, NT and Queensland.

We put some questions to James Finucane, head of Steadfast’s Marine Division

and Product, as well as Ship Repairers Liability, it’s very likely that we’ll be able to help secure a better deal.

Who is BIA Marine Insurance?

Do Marine Contractors need Personal Accident Insurance?

BIA Marine Insurance is a trading name of Steadfast IRS Insurance Brokers (formerly IC Frith Insurance Brokers) and relates to products designed to service the insurance needs of BIA members.

What is the BIA Marine Insurance Contractors Package?

The BIA Marine Insurance Contractors Package is a One Stop Shop for tradesman and other service providers who work in the Marine Industry. The program offers a range of insurance policies specifically designed for the needs of marine contractors and includes Ship Repairers Liability, Personal Accident, General Property, Vehicles, Work Boats, and more. Each insurance program is tailored to the specific insurance needs of each client. In this way, we ensure that the level and scope of cover is right for your business, and that the premium is competitive.

Do Marine Contractors need separate Public Liability and Ship Repairers Liability insurance policies?

Not normally. Most Ship Repairers Liability insurance policies issued in Australia combine General Public & Products Liability Insurance with Ship Repairers Liability Insurance into a single policy. The BIA Marine Insurance Contractors Insurance Package does wrap Ship Repairers Liability and Public & Products Liability insurances into a single policy. If you’re currently holding separate policies for General Public

28 - Summer 2016/2017 BIA LOGBOOK

and effort. Claims against your business may seem frivolous and implausible, yet some end up succeeding. Prevention is better than cure, and part of the process is to ensure you have Terms and Conditions that support the process by which you engage with your clients.

All BIA Members have access to the Standard Terms & Conditions guidelines. These are “work job cards” and when these are used correctly, they can assist to minimise the cost and scope of Public and Professional Liability Insurance claims.

Insurance underwriters recognise that being a member of the BIA delivers a reasonable level of Risk Management to a small business. This allows Steadfast to offer a BIA Marine Insurance Contractors Package.

Any business that adopts this insurance package receives a $150 BIA Voucher redeemable against the cost of BIA membership or Marine Card training. (Membership of the BIA will still be subject to approval through the normal membership process).

For more information and guidance on Business Insurance, contact the Marine Business Insurance specialist at Steadfast, James Finucane on (02) 8633 8804 For information about membership of the BIA, contact the BIA directly on (02) 9438 2077.

Workers Compensation Insurance covers employees who are injured while working. If you are self-employed and not set up as a company, then Workers Compensation Insurance is not available.

Differences in legislation in QLD mean that this may also be the case for working company directors in Queensland. Any worker not covered by a Workers Compensation policy should have some form of Income Protection Insurance. If you are not sure if and how these differences apply to you or your business, we can help to clarify your situation. The BIA Marine Insurance Contractors Insurance Package offers a low premium Personal Accident Insurance solution to protect lost income following an accident.

We can also assist with Workers Compensation Insurance, so we’ll help to ensure that everyone in your business is properly covered.

Is the BIA Marine Insurance Contractors Package available to non-BIA Members?

Yes. However, being a member of the BIA is recognised by the providers of the BIA Marine Insurance Contractors Package as a “Risk Improvement”. BIA members have available to them industry standard terms and conditions of engagement and a steady stream of business and sector intelligence to help them stay current, so to promote the risk mitigation benefits of BIA membership, all clients who insure under the BIA Marine Contractors Insurance package will be provided with a $150 BIA Voucher that can be redeemed through the BIA as credit toward either the cost of a Marine Card induction course, or the cost of BIA Membership.

SA Boating Strategic Plan

T

he BIA has been enaged by the South Australian Government to develop a Strategic Plan to boost boating participation, guide investment in maritime infrastructure and improve the boating experience across the State.

The South Australian Boating Plan will focus on the State’s four key geographic regions with high levels of boating activity; namely, the Central, Western, South Eastern and Murray regions. Within each region, priority projects will be identified which improve safety and access to the waterways, enhance destinations for boaters and maximise benefits for the boating and broader community.

The four study areas that will form the focus of the SA Boating Strategic Plan.

The Plan will introduce a new approach to infrastructure planning and investment and will be informed by an extensive consultation process, involving feedback from key stakeholders and the local community.

The plans will guide future infrastructure investment decisions over the next five years, particularly for funds from the boating infrastructure levy, to which most boaters contribute.

Throughout November, BIA National Chief Executive, Howard Glenn and other BIA staff travelled to key boating regions throughout the State to inspect existing facilities and meet with Council’s and potential funding partners. The response has been very positive and there is considerable support for the program.

Boaters and the wider community are being asked to get involved in two phases of engagement. Firstly, there is an opportunity to respond to an online survey about current facilities and opportunities for improvement. To complete the survey, go to: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ saboatingfuture Secondly, stakeholders will be asked to participate in a series of community information sessions. The information sessions will be held early in 2017, following the release of the draft Strategic Plan.

More information about the project and how you can get involved is available on the BIA website: http://www.bia.org. au/community/SA-boating-project.html. You can also contact the project team via phone or email if you have any questions or want to provide additional feedback at: 1800 810 680 (free call) or saboating@bia.org.au

BIA LOGBOOK Summer 2016/2017 - 29

Split-Stream approach to Greywater Management for Houseboats on SA inland waters

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n March 2012 the South Australian Environment Protection Authority (EPA), acting on a request from the Houseboat Hirers Association (HHA), agreed to trialling separation of the galley/dishwasher greywater to a containment tank, and treatment of the remainder of the on-board greywater.

Previously total containment or total treatment had been a requirement for commercial vessels.

HHA members installed GatorPro and Matala domestic greywater filter units with added bromine ‘spa’ tablet disinfection to trial handling of the bathroom water stream on four and six berth vessels. Following successful output-only testing, a third unit was installed on a 10 berth vessel in August 2014.

In response to EPA’s request for an alternative to these 60 litre rectangular black ‘poly’ boxes, for smaller vessels, a lower profile tubular PVC device was developed.

The 150mm diameter, 10 litre prototype installed on the 4-berth vessel in July 2015 was tested with full input

and output volumes collected from two showering, hair/hand washing, teeth cleaning and shaving sessions, using the same low Nitrogen and Phosphorus toiletries as supplied in parallel synthetic-mix laboratory test being conducted by EPA. This was the first known attempt to characterise r eal houseboat bathroom water output, rather than adopt theoretical domestic household formulations. Following testing, the unit met discharge levels for a compliant outcome.

Storm Plastics are manufacturing GreyTubes and two more 225 mm diameter, 20 litre units have been installed. 60 litre models for 12 berth vessels are longer.

Sustainable flow of 40 litre/min has been demonstrated for units with 50 mm inlet/outlets.

The ‘black boxes’ remain in service giving a cumulative 5-plus years of experience by three operators on four vessels from Wentworth, NSW to Murray Bridge, SA. Following from discussions and

independent testing by EPA, the EPA and HHA agreed that the units and the change in process, satisfies both parties.

EPA is preparing documentation for new ‘Reasonable and Practicable’ amended wastewater treatment protocols and guidelines for inland vessels in South Australia – defining criteria such as volumes and disinfection dosage according to vessel berths for implementation of this greywater management strategy.

Ken Bampton Vice Chairman HHA

Boating Industry Association

Marine Card program – Best practice WHS compliance management solutions for the boating industry Whether you are an owner/operator of a commercial marine site, work for an employer or a contractor in the industry, we all want to work in a safe environment where everyone goes home in one piece.

The Marine Card program provides an industry-wide approach to improve safety awareness and performance, streamline compliance and promote a culture of commitment to WHS in our industry.

There are three parts to the Marine Card Program 1. Our Online WHS General Induction Our online WHS General Induction designed specifically for the boating industry, focusing on risks and hazards found in our complex working environment and helping workers to understand their legal responsibilities and contribute to a safer workplace.

2. marinecard.org.au A dedicated website designed to aid the exchange of vital WHS information between Contractor and Marine site.

3. Access management System An automated Access Management System designed to streamline and simplify Contractor access and compliance management at Marine Industry worksites.

MARINE CARD, DO YOU HAVE YOURS YET? The Marine Card is now held by nearly 3,500 people in the recreational marine sector. As a business running a site or an individual visiting one, this is a start to ensuring you are on the way to meeting your WH&S obligations.

To obtain your Marine Card, you must successfully complete the online Marine Card Induction. If you have a Marine Card that has expired, you can update it by completing the online Refresher at www.bia.org.au/training

Innovative, simple and right for our industry, the Marine Card Program supports employees, sole traders, contracting businesses and workplace controllers to meet their legal obligations and make our industry safer for everyone.

Find out more at www.marinecard.org.au or contact:.

Corrina McMillan (02) 9438 2077, training@bia.org.au

Another service from The Boating Industry Association PO Box 1204 Crows Nest NSW 1585 | Ph: (02) 9438 2077 | Email: info@bia.org.au

30 - Summer 2016/2017 BIA LOGBOOK

Walcon Marine Australia

• Marinas • Pontoons • Yacht Harbours • Jetties • Walkways WALCON MARINE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD enquiries@walconmarineaustralia.com.au www.walconmarineaustralia.com.au National: 1300 MARINA (1300 627 462)

Marine Contractors Insurance Package.

We work on your Insurances so you can work on your boats.

The Right Cover Ship Repairers Liability Errors & Omissions Workboats Tools & Workshops Fines & Penalties

Work Vehicles Workers Compensation Income Protection Travel

The Right Service Marine Industry Specialists Dedicated Claims Team Exclusive Products

The Right Price The right cover at the right price Pay by the month options available

Plus 3 All policy holders receive $150 voucher for BIA Membership / Marine Card 3 Quotes and Certificates of Insurance in 24 hours turnaround

Let’s Talk.

Contact Steadfast IRS today for a tailored Marine Contractors Insurance Package.

Erin Clissold NSW Account Executive Email: eclissold@steadfast-irs.com.au Call: 02 8633 8802

Sarah Harrison QLD Business Development Manager Email: sharrison@steadfast-irs.com.au Call: 0422 203 042