EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
STATUTORY RULES 1988 NO 279
Issued by the Authority of the Minister for Transport and Communications
Subject - Ships (Capital Grants) Act 1987
Ships (Capital Grants) Regulations (Amendment)
Section 42 of the Ships (Capital Grants) Act 1987 (the Act) provides that the Governor-General may make regulations not inconsistent with the Act, prescribing all matters which by the Act are required or permitted to be prescribed for carrying out or giving effect to the Act.
The proposed Ships (Capital Grants) Regulations (Amendment) will insert an interpretation regulation, declare a category of ships under the Act and set a maximum crew level for this category of ships. The amendments also set fees for applications under the Act.
The Act is intended to provide an incentive for the introduction of more efficient ships into the Australian shipping industry. The Act provides a grant to shipowners on the introduction of eligible ships. To be eligible a ship must comply with certain crew levels specified in the Act which are determined according to the category of ship. The Act provides for regulations to create categories where proposed ships do not fit the existing categories.
It is therefore necessary to make a regulation specifying a category of the Coral Princess, a small ship which does not have the operational requirements and work practices used to derive the existing categories in the Act which relate to major trading ships.
It is not appropriate, due to the characteristics of its operations, that the maximum crew level of 21 determined for major trading ships be applicable to the Coral Princess. It is therefore proposed to specify a maximum crew level of 12, the level assessed by the Department of Transport and Communications to be safe and efficient for this ship’s operations.
The regulations declare a category of ships in respect of the Coral Princess defining the operations of this ship as voyages in Queensland coastal waters, primarily in daylight hours. For these operations it a maximum crew level of 12 is prescribed.