Yet Another Fee Hike in Oz

[Jim Cate]

Just noticed that AQIS, the Australian quarantine service, has raised the minimum fee for inspecting a yacht (under 25 metres OAL) from the already high $330 to an extortionate $380. This covers a 1.5 hour inspection. If it should go on longer, the charges go up. And if one is foolish or unlucky enough to arrive outside of their idea of normal business hours (M-F, 0800-1600) the fee doubles (I may have that slightly wrong, but it is a major increase).

The idea is that they wish to recover expenses. That is a pretty high hourly rate! Of course, should they find termites aboard, or an excessively foul bottom, the remedy is at your expense and not negotiable.

As much as I like Oz, I begin to understand why so many yotties are not coming here. I know that other countries have charges for clearance, but somehow both NZed and New Caledonia manage to avoid them entirely (so far). Wonder how they do it?

Jim

[maxingout]

I don't really get it. They should be encouraging tourism. Yachties bring a lot of money into the country. We sailed their twice and spent a ton of money on Exit Only in the yard and elsewhere. I still have a truck in Australia in storage.

When we sailed in to Whangarei, the city picked up the tab for check in so that yachts would come to Whangarei to check in to the country. A very smart move.

[Greg4cocokai]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Just noticed that AQIS, the Australian quarantine service, has raised the minimum fee for inspecting a yacht (under 25 metres OAL) from the already high $330 to an extortionate $380. This covers a 1.5 hour inspection. If it should go on longer, the charges go up. And if one is foolish or unlucky enough to arrive outside of their idea of normal business hours (M-F, 0800-1600) the fee doubles (I may have that slightly wrong, but it is a major increase).



The idea is that they wish to recover expenses. That is a pretty high hourly rate! Of course, should they find termites aboard, or an excessively foul bottom, the remedy is at your expense and not negotiable.



As much as I like Oz, I begin to understand why so many yotties are not coming here. I know that other countries have charges for clearance, but somehow both NZed and New Caledonia manage to avoid them entirely (so far). Wonder how they do it?



Jim

Did not have fun with quarantine 3 yrs ago checking in in Makay. I will never go back to Aus.!


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[Catalpa1]

I think it's just like everything in Australia atm. Resources boom has finished, people losing their jobs all over the place, a govt that is willing to sacrifice our greatest natural features for a quick buck, and in general an economy that is headed for a MASSIVE fall.
The govt is money grabbing all over the place. Personally I don't see things getting any better.
We know quite a few cruisers that now just bypass Australia and head for Asia instead. And who can blame them....
Australia, the land of red tape and fees galore....


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[Mirage Gecko]

Is $380 really a lot of money in the total $ scheme of sailing a fully equipped yacht to Australia from another country?Maybe it is compared to some other countries but like most things in this great land our expected standard of enjoyable living comes at a price.Certainly not defending the Govt here and probably a bit inciteful but why should it be free or lower?If you actually did a full costing on the excercise and had to pay the real cost it would most likely be higher.
I know tourism is suffering a bit at the moment but as for lower costs to promote tourism from visiting yachties well just how many potential overseas cruisers do we really miss per year because of the sub $400 fees.
Chris

[Catalpa1]

The standard of "enjoyable" living is becoming more and more for the rich only. A lot of my friends have families, are paying off mortgages and between this and the cost of living going up a lot faster than wage growth are really struggling to make ends meet. And I'm talking about guys in well paid occupations too.

I think the most ridiculous thing about the charges is that they double it outside of "normal" working hours.

Not everyone plans their passage to enter Australia between M-F 8am to 4pm.


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[Ex-Calif]

For some strange reason I was youtube surfing and clicked on the attached link.

Australia is a long way away and one really has to want to go there so while $380 is steep Australia is a totally worthwhile destination. The video shows a montage of Australian wildlife.

If it takes $380 to protect that ecosystem I am all for it.

Now I understand Rolf is on the outs. Terribly sad that he was such an idiot to do what he's done. I grew up on a lot of his songs.

Anyhoo - Just take a look at the "creatures" that live in Oz - Amazing!

Rolf Harris :: Waltzing Matilda (with lyrics and explanation of them) - YouTube

[socaldmax]

Originally Posted by Mirage Gecko

Is $380 really a lot of money in the total $ scheme of sailing a fully equipped yacht to Australia from another country?Maybe it is compared to some other countries but like most things in this great land our expected standard of enjoyable living comes at a price.Certainly not defending the Govt here and probably a bit inciteful but why should it be free or lower?If you actually did a full costing on the excercise and had to pay the real cost it would most likely be higher.
I know tourism is suffering a bit at the moment but as for lower costs to promote tourism from visiting yachties well just how many potential overseas cruisers do we really miss per year because of the sub $400 fees.
Chris

That's one way of looking at it. Another way of looking at it is it's an arbitrary and ridiculous way to leach money off of tourists. How many other fees are there to check into that country? What is the real total cost to visit the place via yacht, vs flying there?

At some point, it does drive people away when you add in all of the other costs (I'm sure there are a few more fees involved) and it's not a service anybody requested, it's an intrusive inspection, and to charge the visitor for it just adds insult to injury.

When the time comes for me to pick my cruising destinations, the choices will be made on the basis of relative costs of visiting including entering, cost of marinas, labor, etc. As long as there are cheaper destinations that are equally as nice in that portion of the world, I'll choose the cheaper destinations. I would expect costly fees in places like Monaco, the party scene for the rich. Australia is not quite Monaco.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by Catalpa1

Not everyone plans their passage to enter Australia between M-F 8am to 4pm.

If we arrive in Cairns too late, we just tie up to the poles opposite Marlin Marina and wait til next morning to clear in. No biggie.

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by Greg4cocokai

Did not have fun with quarantine 3 yrs ago checking in in Makay. I will never go back to Aus.!

Me neither.....

Both NZ and French Polynesia have increased the time you can keep your yacht 'in country' from 12 months to 2 years.... as the customs man in Papeete said to me.... ordinary tourists book into a foreign owned hotel and in many cases rarely get out into the general community to spend money... boat people live amonst the locals and every penny they spend ... which over 2 years would be quite a lot...goes directly into the local economy.

Every time a yacht owner decides to give Oz a miss the economy loses out by a lot more than the entry costs... to the tune of many $K in many cases.

Dopey buggers....

[hoppy]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

Every time a yacht owner decides to give Oz a miss the economy loses out by a lot more than the entry costs... to the tune of many $K in many cases.

Dopey buggers....

From Tourism Australia

There were 6.6 million visitor arrivals for year ending June 2014, an increase of 7.9 per cent relative to the previous year.

Missing out on a few hundred yachties over $50 per yacht is not going to cause anyone to lose any sleep.

For the $380 you gain access to a country with 34,218km of coastline.

[Mirage Gecko]

Australia not quite Monaco I am sooooooo glad for that!
Intrusive inspection well plenty of us believe those inspections just might keep this country free of some of the problems others just have to accept as part of their life.As for the inspection not being requested our population and animals request it.
I really don't think the impact on tourism will be that great from maybe only a couple of dozen overseas boats choosing not to come.
I have been lucky to travel a good section of the planet on business and worked in Asia for 10 plus years and used to always complain about customs delays etc that made my country was the worst to come back into by air but I got over it.

Chris

[Coops]

If you complain about an extra $50 for all the time that you are here it's unlikely that you are going to put a lot of money into the economy perhaps.

Coops.

[El Pinguino]

Its not the extra $50... its the whole $380.... why charge at all? Do they have to go out and find these people and pay them a 4 hour minimum every time a yacht arrives?
Nope...

[DumnMad]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

Its not the extra $50... its the whole $380.... why charge at all? Do they have to go out and find these people and pay them a 4 hour minimum every time a yacht arrives?
Nope...

Yep, we knew a couple travelling from Capetown to Nelson, didn't stop to replenish at Tasmania because they couldn't afford the fees. Just loaded the boat down before they left SA.