A QORF member recently contacted us to ask a question about registration of their fleet of canoes/kayaks.

You might remember in April 2018, there was a major concern raised that the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) was going to remove the exemption from the payment of levies for registration of every canoe, kayak and sailing vessel that might be used (even temporarily)for commercial purposes.

QORF, our members and and other peak bodies from across Australia acted, and the decision to remove the exemption on the levies was reversed.

The exemption is from having to pay the levy for each craft – it does not mean that vessels like canoes and kayaks are automatically exempt from being registered with AMSA.

Our understanding is that where human powered craft are being used for commercial purposes (even if only occasionally), then AMSA regulations apply and the fleet should be registered, although you do not need to pay a levy for each craft.

Operators can apply to AMSA for a Certificate of Operation for their fleet of craft. A Certificate of Operation has the effect of not needing each individual craft to be registered with a Unique Vessel Identifier. There is a fee for the Certificate of Operation (currently $194), but this can remove the requirement to register each craft individually.

Your Certificate of Operation sets out the conditions under which your vessel or fleet operates. One of the requirements to obtain a Certificate of Operation is that you have a Safety Management System in place for the vessel/fleet. We expect that most (if not all) outdoor operators would already have a safety management system that addresses the AMSA requirements and suggest that you look into this to ensure you are dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s.

Click here to access the Application Form for a Certificate of Operation.

The AMSA system is not simple, with exemptions based on types of vessels and how vessels are used. The best advice is to contact AMSA and ensure that you are compliant with these regulations.