30 July 2024
Starship Sydney, King Street Wharf
Meeting Chair: Harley Ogden
1. Harley Ogden made an introduction & apologies.
Apologies: Marcelle Raheb from NSW maritime wished to pass on that all commercial operators should apply for their sewage certificate asap so that there is not a rush before July next year. Nick Lester pointed out that the slow uptake may be due to the fact that many operators are wary of new regulations and red tape.
The sound compliance team from Liquor and Gaming wished to pass on that they are keen to meet with the accord, but wanted to do it at the next meeting after consulting with MAC and maritime to plan the best way forward with our unique industry.
2. Michael Jarvin, Treasurer of the SHLA spoke on behalf on the accord about the following topics:
- Financial position of the accord. We have over $8000 to spend as necessary to benefit the industry when needed.
- The increased size of the accord has allowed us to join the Statewide accords team. Michael has been representing the SHLA and making good relationships with other accords and key stakeholders. During his time liaising with Liquor and Gaming they have asked him to pass on the following points to members: If CCTV is required on your liquor license, please make sure it is accessible and in working order. The RSA on the frontline webinar refresher is available to operators and is a good way to show that your business is engaged with compliance issues. The vibrancy reforms have also been discussed and we are all looking forward to seeing how it will affect the licensed charter vessel space. Michael has been active in the space and also wanted to share with members that grants are available for sound proofing and live music through Liquor and Gaming.
The Hospitality Concierge is also a good resource for operators.
L & G have also asked security companies to attend accord meetings the get across the issues facing the industry. New incident register is available , with a digital version being released soon. All these points and more can be seen on the YouTube video which can be seen here.
3. Scott Robertson, Vice President SHLA brought up pump out problems at King street. Harley said he would bring the issue up at CVAG meeting this Friday.
4. Nick Lester, Chair of the Australian Commercial Marine Group and CVA. Nick gave a brief history of both entities. They are across all industry and are advocating for commercial vessels. ACMG and AIMEX group are associated and nationwide which has benefited CVA in their reach. These groups are holding a conference on Thursday for members with AMSA, operators, and other stakeholders including manufacturers and industry. Sealink has put Starship up for use to benefit the industry. For more information and to purchase tickets to the conference please click here. Nick also talked about the future of the boating industry in Sydney Harbour, and his concerns that basic infrastructure needs were not being addressed.
One member said to Nick that he believes we need more members and they need to attend meetings to give the industry a bigger voice. He suggested a free membership to get more people involved.
Harley mentioned the clean-up Sydney petition which is currently active in NSW parliament. They want to clean up the junk and derelict structures in Sydney Harbour including the old Glebe Island Bridge which has become a hazard to navigation. If you would like more information on the petition please click here.
5. Scott Kelly, head of licensing for Marine Area Command spoke on behalf of the water police. He mentioned his good relationship and history with the accord. Last boating season was good for police with strong compliance and not much crime reported. Police understand that the conditions for industry have been hard since COVID, but appreciates the hard work operators have done. In terms of compliance and crime it was one of the best seasons in memory. He would have liked to present on the vibrancy reforms but does not have enough information at this stage. Will be presenting on the pre-season meeting alongside Liquor and Gaming and Maritime. He wants people to understand that is they are doing the right thing nothing will change for operators under the changes. MAC will continue business as usual and predicts more collaboration with L&G over the coming season. Happy with the state of the industry at present.
Harley Ogden thanked everyone for their time and suggested Tuesday October 15th 2024 for our pre-season meeting and encouraged all members to attend. It was suggested by members to hold the meeting later in the day after business hours so 6pm has been floated for the time.
LINKS
Liquor & Gaming accord information video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v94VIU9aazI
AIMEX marine industry conference
https://www.commercialmarine.com.au/australian-commercial-marine-conference/
Clean up Sydney Harbour petition
https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/la/Pages/ePetition-details.aspx?q=DqXN3A0U4R3g8W25kiQwMw