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bill good · 27-10-2010, 16:19

Save all your receipts showing the GST paid & on leaving request refund.

Brob2 · 27-10-2010, 16:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bluefuss

Sorry to hear Oz is in the same sad shape as Canada. I'm planning on buying my boat this year specifically to get out of this over regulated, money bilking, bureacratic nightmare that used to be such a fun country to live in.

????? Good luck in finding better w/o an interplanetary craft!

Therapy · 27-10-2010, 16:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brob2

????? Good luck in finding better w/o an interplanetary craft!

That is what I was thinking.

cat man do · 27-10-2010, 17:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brob2

????? Good luck in finding better w/o an interplanetary craft!

I'm sure all countries have their fair share of officialdom and fees, but due to exchange rates, the fees and costs of inspections in these other countries are cheap in comparison.

Add in the cheaper cost of living and the ability to enjoy your surrounds without these guys wanting to spoil your fun and you can see why other countries are sounding more appealing

A couple of recent articles

The yachting life: Where border protection and privacy rights clash

Yachties cry foul over Customs 'intimidation'

barnakiel · 27-10-2010, 17:39

???

Is it possible Australia changed her rules this much in just 4 years?

We had no problem there whatsoever. We read their regulations (OK a bit weird at places, but at least clear and available on the net), followed their rules, paid (not high at all) clearance fees and cruised freely for 3 months. We wish we could have stayed more.

What legal basis did the office quote for their action? Were you aware of this law?

barnie

Dame.n.Jess · 27-10-2010, 18:02

As a Kiwi living in Sydney refitting his yacht I can say we have come across so many ridiculous laws in New South Wales we cant wait to leave and return home.

New Zealand has a a fair bit of red tape by world standards but Australian beurocrats as a whole remind me of the "Bogons" in "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy".

"You need to fill in the blue form, oh not that blue form the lighter blue form, now take it to these four separate departments (located many kms away from each other) and get them stamped, then bring it back here and fill out the completed blue form acceptance request form. Then our boating officer will decide if he accepts the request..."

Its is a very hard place to live in as nothing is simple, and there is normally 2-3 layers of governmental departments that contradict and overlap each other making most things very hard to remain legal.

Its technically illegal to live onboard a boat in New South Wales unless your cruising, however A major marina endorsed by the state government allows you to live aboard your vessel if you park in their marina (the down side it most cannot afford the super yacht that this marina only rents to...)

Khagan1227 · 27-10-2010, 18:30

Seems to be a long way to sail to get hassled by Customs.

savoir · 27-10-2010, 18:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by S/V Willow

You will all have to forgive me cos I am about to RANT! I am so angry I could spit (and probably will any minute now).

We bought our yacht in NZ about 18 months ago - a fibreglass hulled 44' yacht. (She is lovely by the way) and we worked our guts out to get her ready for this cruising season. We made it in time and we set off for Fiji and (due to illness of the skipper) missed Vanuatu and made New Caledonia.

Whilst in NC we met many cruisers thinking about Australia as a destination and, sadly, a few who were giving us a miss for reasons of petty bureaucracy. New Quarantine rules, chest x rays for some and not others ( and no reason given why), new insurances, Customs reporting, costs of clearing in (highest in the world we believe) and the list goes on. It was embarrassing and humbling that so many people who would have loved to come to Australia were giving the whole place a miss because Australia has become a nanny state and has more rules and regulations than you could get your head around.

BUT we wanted to come home and pass through Australian waters so we had to face up to the fact that we would have to pay duty and gst to cruise here for one season (that makes you feel sick to pay to cruise your own country) but we have family here and so we took that concept on the chin. We cleared in the other day and I cannot speak more highly of the officers here where we cleared but today we are hit with more news of the bad variety.

Some wet behind the ears twit sitting in an office somewhere has decided that our fibreglass yacht with only minor wood trim, all in exceptionally good condition and varnished, constitutes a risk for termites and we HAVE to present to a port that we weren't intending on stopping at to have an inspection done. The inspection done here was of the opinion that we were not a 'predominantly wooden boat' and what wood there was was in good condition. So why the inspection then?

So help me god this country gives me a pain in the posterior!!!! Friends being forced to pay thousands for chest x rays to visit but people coming through the airport don't have too? Paying to clear in - when if you arrive by plane you don't have too? Having to pay to bring our home into the country? Now we have to pay to get our home inspected? Now don't get me wrong here - if we were at risk at all of anything then I wouldn't hesitate at all to get it inspected. I don't want nasties getting in here anymore than the next guy BUT we met their own guidelines for 'not requiring further inspection' and she is an obviously well maintained boat with no damage anywhere so WHAT THE HELL ARE THEY THINKING?

Honestly the bureaucrats here are really and truly trying to get us put on the worst destination list for cruising yachts. Shame Australia Shame!!!!

You could have applied for temporary importation. Provided you leave when you say you will the whole thing is free. They give 1 year max.

**Boracay** · 27-10-2010, 19:16

Not directly on cruising but if you want to see what Oz Customs looks like on TV then have a look at the program info on Yahoo 7 TV and click on "Border Security".

**Wotname** · 28-10-2010, 02:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by S/V Willow

.............. Paying to clear in - when if you arrive by plane you don't have too? ..............

S/V Willow, I agree with you general observations about Aussie customs and immigration however I just want to correct you on one small matter.

You do pay to clear in when coming by (commerical) plane - it is called a airport tax or levy and it is included in the price of your ticket. And if you fly in on your private jet, you pay just the same as if you arrive by private boat.

S/V Willow · 28-10-2010, 17:41

Hi Squid
Fair crack of the whip - this is cruiser bashing! Why attack me for being slugged?

Our boat is anything but termite infested - been in NZ for 4 years and MAF were more than happy with her and she is well maintained.

Um why would I give out our or our friends personal details to someone who is obviously just spoiling for a fight? Not good sense.

Nope not rude. In fact, if this person cares to read my missive again they will note that we in fact got on with and like very much the officer here. So much so I am happy to advise people to come here!

As for our friends who decided not to visit - several of them are coming to NZ by the way - they got their information from the internet. Hardly light on information if it is picked up from official sites?

No - our problem is the extra costs and time and inconvenience to take a low risk boat into another port so we can pay to get someone else to take another look at a boat that has already been deemed clean.

Our gripe is only one - please relay to this cruiser basher that they should go and read up on all the rules and regulations that apply (state by state) and then and only then come back and tell international cruisers why they should pay to come here and be hounded? This is a fabulous country (not as good as NZ though) but the rules have taken over. This is not official bashing - they are just doing their job, this is a rant about the over the top, ridiculous amount of fines, rules, regulations, guidelines, fees, duties etc that we have here. When we cruised Queensland waters back in 2005 there was at that time approx 186 fines applicable to sailing yachts. Don't tell me that is reasonable as a sailor - that is straight out revenue raising.

I stand by my earlier statement - Shame Australia Shame.
Cat Man Do - Thanks so much you are wonderful - you brought me out of my blue funk and I laughed and laughed. You are so right.

surfmachine · 28-10-2010, 19:01

Ahoy Bluefuss, I'm with you! Whats with these "no idling signs" at the look out spots on the highways in Victoria? also, 5 different parking signs on the same 800m of suburban street!!! Over regulated, over governed, go to good old Indonesia where you can be a "Demigod" and pay for anything you want!!!

SVImpunity · 28-10-2010, 20:34

Well folks...you have confirmed what I had believed for years that Australia, rather than being populated with laconic & freedom loving people is actually an extremely regulated & officious country. I'm Australian living in BC Canada & even though I get home sick from time to time, I don't miss the over-regulated side of it. I sail out of Blaine WA & frequent the Gulf & San Juan Islands where I've had no problems with officialdom. It's too bad that a country that I believe used to be THE place to live has become the way it has. It's not just about boats either. The over regulation extends to the motor vehicle industry, housing, pension etc.

dana-tenacity · 28-10-2010, 21:18

Thanks fo rthe reply Willow, I'll post it , I would have answered that way myself but preferred to have it from the horse's mouth (ever been called ahorse before?)