AUS. Moving from VIC to QLD liveaboard. Proving residency?

[JPA Cate]

When they tell you "your postal address will do" it's time to ask for it in writing, and get the supervisor to initial it, too. Then you have something you can actually show the police. If they won't do it, perhaps the supervisor will know how to help you. It may or may not get you help, but it's fairly easy to do. And be glad you only had to wait 20 min. The other day I was in a DMV (dept. of motor vehicles)) in California, and I had an appointment. The wait for people who just came in off the street was 4 HOURS!

Ann

[Kinta Ray]

Hi Ann,
Unfortunately I thought about the "get it in writing" after I had walked out and didn't feel up to sitting there for another 20 minutes but you are absolutely right so I will probably try again, although I'm sure I'll get a different answer this time. As I mentioned all they seem to be interested in is getting you out as quickly as they can which is very frustrating when you are looking for help.
Thanks for the reply,
Ray

[aclmck]

Originally Posted by Kinta Ray

Hi Ann,
Unfortunately I thought about the "get it in writing" after I had walked out and didn't feel up to sitting there for another 20 minutes but you are absolutely right so I will probably try again, although I'm sure I'll get a different answer this time. As I mentioned all they seem to be interested in is getting you out as quickly as they can which is very frustrating when you are looking for help.
Thanks for the reply,
Ray

This is nothing new 1000's of people in caravans are doing the same thing the police are very aware of this so long as you have a postal address in Qld you have your licence just start moving about, the only time you need to do anything else is if you stop or intend to stop for a period of more than 3 mths in one place. then your residential address is changed (via email and a little sticker will be sent to your QLD mailing address,which is to be attached to the rear of your licence) it is really no big deal when you travel out side of Qld you are on holidays so respect the different laws in those states and you will be ok.

Obviously you will need someone to forward the mail onto you but this goes with all the documents you receive each year, i certainly don't change these everytime i move.

Keep in mind they only want a mailing address to send you fines and find you, they ask for residential address to track you down quickly in the case of an emergency and once you have a "customer Number" your in their system that enables you to be able to change addresses ,renew licences and pay fees and fines over the internet so it is not all bad !

If your still having trouble slip down to the local caravan park and ask a few of the people i'm sure you will get sorted out quickly with some good and precise advice.

[Kinta Ray]

Hi Aclmck,
I'm sure that you are correct but I will try Qld Transport again as I would like it in writing.

Thank you for your advice it is really appreciated
Ray

[casablanca]

We live aboard but are full time cruisers with no permanent base. So we are technically "of no fixed abode". Spent most if last year in NSW. Currently cruising QLD.

Boat is registered in NSW using my sister's address. I have never lived there and do not intend to.

Generally, for credit cards and such where we need to quote a postal address I use the NSW address.

Where it is more convenient I use my daughter's address in Brisbane. e.g. we have a car registered in QLD.

For tax purposes we use an accountants office address.

We removed ourselves from the electoral roll to avoid the complexity of where/ when are we obligated to vote. We leave the running of the country in your capable hands.

Fundamentally there is no provision for people such as ourselves who lead an itinerant lifestyle, so we have to manipulate the system a bit.

Bob

[DevoDave]

Originally Posted by casablanca

We removed ourselves from the electoral roll to avoid the complexity of where/ when are we obligated to vote.

Did you manage that by advising the Australian Electoral Commission that you were leaving Australia, or by some other method?

http://www.aec.gov.au/Enrolling_to_v...022nw-0513.pdf

[casablanca]

Was a couple of years ago now but as I recall we just told the AEC to remove us. They suggested it in fact. We had discussed with them a number f options, none f which was very satisfactory. Then they suggested going off the roll. I don't think a reason was required, although at the time we were leaving for overseas, but with the intention of returning.

I don't think it's a big deal. Suggest you visit an electoral office.

Bob

[DevoDave]

That form I linked to seems like it will do the trick. Maybe someone here has already tried it recently?

[RaymondR]

After I entered Qld in 2001 my WA boat registration expired so I went to Qld Transport and renewed it giving my home address as my vessel.

However I had taken the precaution of writing a "To whom it may concern" letter stating that the vessels log stated the vessel entered Qld waters about 2 months before and had remained therein during the intervening period. I took the log and the letter to a public signatory and had it witnessed.

This worked for the registration but would not suffice for my drivers license which required a visit to the local members office, a conversation with someone in the Ministers office (may have been the Minister) and a return visit. The address on my drivers license id c/o "vessel name" c/o the Port Authority.

You must be careful of what you put in government forms as in some jurisdictions knowingly including misinformation is perjury.

What you do with renewals is take a relevant form with a bar code on it and when you do the renewal change the postal address to where you want to collect their rejoinder. I generally use c/o PO for this. You have to keep track of what is renewable although I missed my drivers license and when I explained the circumstances they renewed it anyway even though it was a few months out of date. The down side of it is that if you get caught by a traffic camera you may not be aware of the outstanding transgression until it has multiplied somewhat.

This happened to me when I crossed the Gateway Bridge. I wrote them a letter asserting my right to expunge the debt under the Currency Act and told them I would drop by a PO and pay the $3.85 in cash as was my right as a user of the Australian currency if they sent me an invoice but they just ignored it and threatened to suspend my drivers license. They don't appear to have done it yet though.

If I was you I would take someone with me when you lodge the transfer application and if they won't accept the truth of your residential circumstances and reject your application write up a stat declaration for yourself and your friend and take it to a magistrates court and for a small fee they will official-ize it.

Then if you end up in court you can show that you have done all you reasonably could to comply with the law. Be mindful that in Qld your speed boat license is attached to your drivers license and they are hooked up to computer systems in the cars and boats. With one thing and another Qld is turning into a bureaucratic hellhole for cruisers which is a pity as it has some of the more sublime places on the Australian coast,

[Lagoon4us]

Strange the bureau of Census and Statistics would at election time send a dinghy along the creek delivering forms for the live-aboards accepting that fact.

Australian Post gave a discount for live-aboards for a Post Office box so we'd have access to mail deliveries.

Queensland Transport seem to have issues accepting either....

Yet they operate a fleet of serious Police Boats you'd think they'd love to harass from the water for a new reason?

And i thought Croatia was strange???

Cheers

[aclmck]

Hi Raymond R,

Be very careful driving when you knowingly have an unpaid toll they will have already sent your debt to SPERS (court house) and you now owe spers the debt , the way they work is they cancel your licence for not paying a fine then when the police are called to a dingle YOU GET FINED FOR UNLICENCED DRIVING, and your insurance won't pay out either and the other party has their insurance chasing you also. ( I have 3 sons This is how i know).

Really though they have signs everywhere to tell you how to phone and pay so if you forget i suppose they look at you as a toll evader and they carry no sympathy.

3 days you get to pay the toll,then it is handed to spers i have even had this happen to me with a transponder malfunction and this took a full day even with a letter from the toll company to get it fixed. Spers are nasty, no if's or but's,just pay up or have your licence cancelled. (a cancelled licence means you need to start from scratch again to get a licence and very costly) This was done several years ago because of the toll evasion problems they faced and trying to take thousands of people to courts. so check your paperwork carefully, it may be an unpaid toll but i bet london to a brick its SPERS chasing you!!!

Your marine licence although attached to your licence is separate although if caught Drink Driving on the boat you will lose both but it does not work in reverse, so if you lose your car licence you still have a boat licence, and they can be separate licences mine is Qld transport just like them together

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by casablanca

Was a couple of years ago now but as I recall we just told the AEC to remove us. They suggested it in fact. We had discussed with them a number f options, none f which was very satisfactory. Then they suggested going off the roll. I don't think a reason was required, although at the time we were leaving for overseas, but with the intention of returning.

I don't think it's a big deal. Suggest you visit an electoral office.

Bob

We did the same. We just wrote to the AEC and told them we were now of no fixed address.

Re Queensland licenses - it's a problem for a liveaboard, especially if you cruise full-time, so can't even use a marina address. Transport Qld do want a residential address. They don't seem to get the concept of people not living in a house. We used our neighbour's address, we do occasionally stay there.

[Kinta Ray]

Hi RaymondR,
Some very good advice there, thank you, you have given me some good ideas with the Stat Dec thing.

Regards
Ray

[DevoDave]

Originally Posted by RaymondR

The address on my drivers license is c/o "vessel name" c/o the Port Authority.

That is an eminently sensible solution. Well done! You have set the height of the bar.

Looks like I'll be hitching a couple of rides to Proserpine to visit the local member to try to match your success. Do you suggest any other documentation that might make things easier?

[RaymondR]

I am very diligent about keeping a log and hope that if they ever get me into a court I will be able the show the serious impracticality of attempting to impose their fixed address regime on long term of permanent cruisers. I generally give my address as "boat name, Seaways of Australia" and have noticed that I am having a lot less problems with them as I get older. My boat is now Australian registered as I was going to go in the Indo. rally but health problems have intervened. The vessels log shows that it has been in three states since August next year and I will probably pass back through QLD later this year. However I will not be re-registering the vessel in Qld even if I am there more than 90 days. Australian registration is of much higher integrity in it's identification of the vessel and it's owner than the state systems and I see no reason why this should not be sufficient for vessel identification purposes. Whilst I derive a good deal of pleasure from voyaging the vessel is now my home and I don't think it should be taxed by state authorities. The international convention Australia is party to requires that a vessel only be registered in one state ie. it should not have multiple identities, and the Australian authority requires that the vessel only be referred to by it's registered name and Official Number; how the hell does these requirements apply if state authorities then require that the vessel be given a separate identity when in state waters. My intention is to passively resist whilst muddying the water as much as possible whilst writing letters to every politician explaining to them the lousy job they do when they sign off on these regulations. I don't know if it is still the same but the regulations in relation to tenders in WA in 2001 stated that a tender must only be used to go between the parent vessel and the shore and for no other purpose what was one to do if one saw a person being swept to their likely death in a tidal stream, sit in the cockpit and watch them drown?