Scott Buchholz (Wright, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Road Safety and Freight Transport) Share this | Hansard source

I acknowledge all those who have made a contribution to this debate on the Special Recreational Vessels Amendment Bill 2021. I join with the former speaker, the member for Forde, who acknowledged the member for Dawson. It's rightfully so that the contributions made in this debate come from our more coastal seats in Queensland. Superyachts are always welcomed in the great state of Queensland. I also acknowledge the member for Moncrieff's contribution. In particular, superyachts are a common sight on the waterways of the Gold Coast, where they are part of the landscape. Thank you for your nautical oversight and terminology to assist the House.

The Special Recreational Vessels Act 2019 is simply due to sunset on 30 June 2021. As such, an extension of the repeal date is necessary to enable these vessels to come to Australian waters and simply offer charters. The bill will support these charters on the Australian coast until a longer term regulatory solution can be achieved.

Prior to the introduction of the Special Recreational Vessels Act 2019, the special recreational vessels visited our Pacific neighbours but chose to bypass Australia simply because of the red tape. So what we've done is try to address that. The Australian government put the act in place to allow special recreational vessels, also known as superyachts, to charter in Australian waters and to realise the opportunity they bring for our hospitality, tourism operators, suppliers and, particularly, regional communities, which were outlined by the member for Moncrieff.

Providing new possibilities for businesses and communities is even more important as we rebuild our economy immediately after COVID. The bill provides greater opportunities and certainties for businesses, particularly in regional coastal communities, to benefit from the special recreational vessels that charter there, helping Australians to take advantage of an existing and growing industry. With that, I commend this bill to the House.

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