Australian Maritime Safety Authority - Determination Fixing Charges (No. 1 of 2011)

Explanatory Statement

AMSA DETERMINATION FIXING CHARGES, No 1 of 2011

Authority

1.    This Determination is made under section 47(1) of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority Act 1990 (the AMSA Act).
2.    Section 47(1) of the AMSA Act allows the Australian Maritime Safety Authority to make Determinations fixing charges and specifying the persons by whom, and the times when, the charges are payable.
3.    This Determination is a legislative instrument for the purposes of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003.
4.    This Determination has been made by the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, in accordance with subsection 49(4) of the AMSA Act.

Purpose

5.      This Determination applies revised charges and new charges, with effect from 4 July 2011, for a range of services provided by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority in relation to the registration of ships and for a range of services provided to participants in the shipping industry for compulsory approvals, licences, certificates, qualifications, and other services.

Overview

6.      AMSA applies a range of fees and charges to recover the full cost of provision of services to individuals or individual companies.  The level and structure of these fees and charges is reviewed regularly to ensure that costs are being recovered, whether certain services are still required and for newly defined services resulting from regulatory changes.  Some cost increases in recent years have been absorbed due to productivity improvements by AMSA officers providing these services, but adjustments are now required for many charges to recover current costs.

7.      In general, the level of charges for Marine Services is increasing by around 16%, in the context of increases of around 39% in the Australian Consumer Price Index since these charges were last revised in 2001.  A small number of charges are increasing by more than that figure to reflect increased complexity in service delivery.  Similarly, a small number of charges are being reduced or increased by less than 16% in recognition of the simplification of service delivery, and some charges have been abolished due to changes in the way in which AMSA now undertakes maritime safety regulation.  Charges for Ship Registration services were last revised in 1990 and are increasing by around 100% on average.

Consultation

8.      AMSA conducted consultations with stakeholders in April and May 2011 based on a Cost Recovery Impact Statement.  These consultations included direct contact with the main industry associations, unions, registered training organisations, providers of coastal pilotage services and Yachting Australia, as well as a presentation to a meeting of the AMSA Advisory Committee, which represents the industry.  The only concerns raised related to the proposed new charges for accreditation and compliance audits of registered training organisations in terms of the possible cost flow-on to students.  AMSA responded that it will ensure that these services are conducted efficiently so as to minimise the level of the corresponding charges.