EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
STATUTORY RULES NO. 179 OF 1986
ISSUED BY THE AUTHORITY OF THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR TRANSPORT LIGHTHOUSES ACT 1911
LIGHTHOUSES AND LIGHT DUES REGULATIONS (AMENDMENT)
Section 20 of the Lighthouses Act 1911 (‘the Act’) provides, in part, that the Governor-General may make Regulations prescribing matters which by the Act are permitted to be prescribed.
Sub-section 13(2) of the Act provides, in part, that Regulations may make provision for the exemption of any ship or ships included in a class of ships from payment of light dues.
Paragraph 20(f) of the Lighthouses and Light Dues Regulations provides exemptions from light dues for ships not exceeding 30 register tons. The usual and practical means of ascertaining a ship’s tonnage is by reference to the ship’s registration certificate.
The Shipping Registration Amendment Act 1984 amended the Shipping Registration Act 1981 to exempt vessels less than 24 metres in tonnage length from registration. As a result it is anticipated that an increasing proportion of vessels less than 24 metres in length will not carry a registration certificate.
As a consequence, it will become increasingly difficult for a Collector of Customs to ascertain whether or not a vessel is liable to pay light dues.
In order that a ship’s liability to pay light dues can be evidenced by reference to the vessel’s registration certificate, the proposed amendment to paragraph 20(f) of the Regulations exempts ships of less than 24 metres tonnage length from payment of light dues.
The amendment will exempt an estimated 73 vessels and 8 vessels presently exempt become eligible to pay those dues a small amount of revenue will be forgone which will be offset by administrative savings.