A bill to allow foreign-owned superyachts to be chartered inAustralia received parliamentary approval at the third attempt.
The government introduced the document, called The Special Recreational Vessels Bill, in late November. By December 5, it was finally passed, with immediate effect. Two past attempts to lobby for the bill in 2015 and 2018 ended in failure.
The owner or charterer of a superyacht will be able to obtain a temporary commercial licence for a maximum of one year. It is expected that now ships from NewZealand, Tahiti, Fiji and Papua New Guinea, where chartering of foreign large boats is already allowed, will come to Australia.
«Renting a superyacht really is one of the best ways to experience what Australia has to offer. The Great Barrier Reef, the reefs of the Kimberley and Ningaloo, pristine Tasmania and the buzzing Sydney Harbour are best experienced from the water», says Superyacht Australia CEO David Good.
The new rules come just in time. «Australia's neighbours Japan andNew Zealand will host the Olympic Games and America's Cup in 2020 and 2021». These events are sure to attract visitors to the region, including superyacht owners.
