The Boating Industry Association (BIA) is working with the Boat Owners Association in NSW and Recreational Fishing Alliance of NSW to alert local government authorities to potential changes arising from the review of the Impoundment Act in NSW.
This effort includes engaging more than 10 Local Government Authorities across NSW to voice concerns over any attempts to make it more difficult to park boats on trailers the streets. BIA say that with its alliances they are advocating on behalf of boat owners, particularly those in metropolitan areas where parking is often a challenge.
The BIA said, as councils have significant leeway in interpreting the Act, they would like to know their position on trailer boat parking in their area.
The BIA say the Act should better align with work at Transport for NSW (TforNSW) which has a project underway to respond to the challenge of derelict or abandoned vessels; and furthermore, TfNSW has a program dedicated to supporting infrastructure solutions to boat access and storage. That latter work has included investigating solutions to trailer boat parking in metropolitan areas.
The BIA and its alliances are concerned the ongoing review of the Impounding Act has not:
- demonstrated an appropriate level of consideration of relevant and appropriate long-term data to support the need to impose a state-wide burden on most people who do the right thing due to the poor behaviour of the few – especially in metropolitan areas
- demonstrated consideration of stakeholder impacts (e.g., including economic and social) or sought to engage key stakeholders directly from the outset.
- explored alternatives to regulatory measures such as working effectively with the regulator for trailers and boats; or a local resident parking permit for registered boats on registered trailers; and
- demonstrated an appropriate level of consultation with all key stakeholders impacted.
The BIA has called for members to send feedback to assist the advocacy on this issue to
