# Safety Tax



## Phoenix (Jan 12, 2006)

This was a topic raised on another board - but one that is very interesteding all the same.

The question was - would you be prepared to pay an additional 2-3% on al boating/ fishing products - if it paid for;
* Environmental clear up
* Fish restocking
* Adequate policing/rescue
* and similar

This is a huge industry and the money raised would be huge. A water police presence is rare - if ever seen at the moment here in SEQ. There is only 1 police officer who is qualified to check breaches of the fishing regulations in the whole state of Queensland!! All rescue in SEQ is either a commercial contribution (ie Energex or Westpac) or voluntary and reseives little to no government funding.

Especially if the gov. would say we raised $X,000,000 and spent X% here and X% there and X% there - I'd be pretty happy to fork out the few hunderade bucks that I'd contribute myself.


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## Davey G (Jan 15, 2006)

in NSW, we pay a fishing licence fee of $25 per year. This revenue was meant to be used for a combination of commercial licence buyouts (which they have done), fish restocking programs, increased presence from fisheries inspectors etc etc.

In my 30 odd years of fishing I've never seen a fisheries inspector doing his job (despite 90% most of my fishing being within 1 km of the Fisheries headquarters at Cronulla), however I know that the commercial buyouts have been a success in areas like Botany Bay and Sydney Harbour, with heaps more fish now around in those systems.

I'm sceptical about paying 'extra' taxes etc as these generally get soaked up in administration costs, staffing, and the actual money doesnt get put into where its needed. Just look at the taxes we pay on petrol (more than half the cost of petrol is govt taxes) - these taxes (billions of $$ a year) are supposed to help improve roads, infrastucture etc but most of it gets shifted into election campaigns and keeping the pollies in a job.

Yes I'm cynical when it comes to taxes!


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## Dodge (Oct 12, 2005)

Phoenix said:


> * Fish restocking
> * Adequate policing/rescue
> . A water police presence is rare - if ever seen at the moment here in SEQ. There is only 1 police officer who is qualified to check breaches of the fishing regulations in the whole state of Queensland!! .


Already I pay for 2 freshwater licences [SIP and Hinze Permit] and am happy about that as it goes to restocking.

On the GC rarely fail to see the water police around somewhere, except when well into backwaters and then the police SeaDoo will appear out of the blue on occasion.

Fisheries Patrols are controlled by Queensland Transport and they too are always active including the backwaters checking fish regs and safety gear etc

Very anti tax because so much is frittered away in government coffers for administration costs :shock:


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## Phoenix (Jan 12, 2006)

This guys concept was that this TAX (call it what you like) would replace other licences. Although I do beleieve an annual licence would be a good thing if it was based on a test of fish regulations and bag limits & a practical to know how to use/ identify safety gear. Some people do not even know what a V sheet is......


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## Garfish (Jun 2, 2006)

I'm fairly sure that the Victorian model uses a recreational fishing body to prioritise works and make recommendations to the Minster for Agriculture in regard to how best spend the money that license fees has generated. It's all pretty transparent...

Regarding admin costs... I think every service that is provided, and every asset built, has costs associated with their delivery. We're all paying admin fees as part of our internet deals... even if we never feel the need to pick up the phone to talk to a helpdesk... government's the same - but with more customers with greater expectations*.

*I enjoy playing devil's advocate, I can see where everyone's coming from. :?


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## hairymick (Oct 18, 2005)

Sounds like a load of Horse chit to me.

Just another excuse to sting the rec fishos.

if this comes to be, just watch the tackle & boating stores close down. Most tackle can be bought online from the US and elsewhere now for much less than we are paying here.



> There is only 1 police officer who is qualified to check breaches of the fishing regulations in the whole state of Queensland!!


Who told you that mate? With respect, that is utter nonsense. Every serving member of the Qld Police Service is an ex-officio fisheries inspector with more powers than actual fisheries inspectors. Any Police Officer can prosecute any breach under the Fisheries Act or Regulations. For what it is worth, Police are also empowered to enforce Local government by -laws.


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## Phoenix (Jan 12, 2006)

that was someone from the water police who told me that.


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## hairymick (Oct 18, 2005)

He's tricking ya mate. :lol:

Coppers usually don't like enforcing the "other" laws, but for sure, they have the power to do so.


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## Biggera Yakker (Jan 25, 2007)

That's right Hairymick, they can enforce the law, it's just whether they turn a blind eye to it or not!!!


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## hairymick (Oct 18, 2005)

> That's right Hairymick, they can enforce the law, it's just whether they turn a blind eye to it or not!!!


I think it is more often the case that the coppers are too busy doing their own Police work to be bothered too much with what they consider to be relatively minor offenses.

I think the reality of the matter is that in busy waterways like the Gold Coast etc, they are too busy doing their own job to spend much time (if any) patrolling looking for fisheries and related offenses.


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## justcrusin (Oct 1, 2006)

They tryed a similar thing for all boaters in NSW. The martime authority got an increase in NSW boat licence fees between $1 and $3 depending on the term of the licence with the funds meant to go to Volunteer marine rescue. Maritme then turned around to the volunteers and said if you can keep the licence fees you test at your boating courses as a form of renevue. When you do the sums the millon or so boat licences in NSW didn't equal the money brought in by volunteer rescue safe boating courses. 
My base would do four to five courses a year at $35 for the test fee a head with around 10-20 people per course so take the high mark at 20 thats $700 by 5 courses = $3500 per year by 35 bases in NSW = $122,500 Gee i wonder what happened to the other $870 thousand dollars.
When questioned on this maritime then waterways had a great deal of excuses were the money went into projects that should have come out of there normal infastructure budget.

My point being any revenue raised by government bodies cannot be expected to be put back into areas they say a good percentage will be syphoned off to other areas.

Cheers Dave


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## Dodge (Oct 12, 2005)

Phoenix said:


> would replace other licences. Although I do beleieve an annual licence would be a good thing if it was based on a test of fish regulations and bag limits & a practical to know how to use/ identify safety gear. Some people do not even know what a V sheet is......


Phoenix I feel there are a few flaws in the logic here.

A licence is a paper or plastic card in someones pocket and cures nothing except requiring a regular fee from you to keep current, in Qld the boat licence has no further fee once issued, and will not improve the attitude of any skipper, all the complaints on powerboats in the forum were likely skippers with licences; once that man left the testing officer he discarded the rules required to pass the test and become a water idiot.

In regard to fish, the first bass I tasted were [given to me to try by a bloke I met at the waters edge at Hinze Dam ] from a bag of about 7 bass he had [bag limit is 2], so that permit was meaningless also. I also subscribe to DPI Hooked on Fish newsletter which gives all the latest news on/and possession updates, and also bookmark the Fisheries website for regular viewing.

The official Tide Tables and Boat Safety Guide from Maritime Safety Qld retails at $8.50 also gives all thats needed in use of safety gear, and is my only annual fee at present other than freshwater licences.

To be buried in licences and new charges will cure nothing...it's between the ears where things happen.

The Queensland system despite it's flaws is a good one, so hope we don't bugger it up when you compare some of the requirements inter state


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