In July 2013, AMSA became the sole regulator for Australia's domestic commercial vessel fleet, providing a single set of safety standards across all states and territories. Since 2013, marine safety agencies in each state and in the Northern Territory have provided certification and compliance services on behalf of AMSA. AMSA will begin directly delivering these services under the National System from 1 July 2017.
Consistent with the Australian Government Charging Framework, AMSA will need to recover all service delivery costs from industry. Costs will be recovered through a levy and fees for services. As each state and territory currently recovers costs to different degrees, the shift in overall fees under the National System will vary for each commercial vessel depending on its location and type of operation.
AMSA has developed two proposed options for cost recovery. One model involves a flat fee per metre, based on the length of a vessel. The second model is based on vessel class and size, combining a fixed charge per vessel with a fee per metre. Commercial owners and operators are invited to provide feedback to AMSA on both models.
Consultation will be open from 15 August until 10 October and more information about making a submission is available on the consultation page of the AMSA website.