The NSW Government has already started charging higher Jet Ski licence fees – which are by far the most expensive in the world – even though it had agreed to review the policy after receiving feedback from the boating sector.
Jet Ski riders have started sharing their licence fee renewal notices on social media, an example of which is shown below (though we have blurred the person’s date-of-birth).
Photos on social media show the NSW Government has gone ahead with its bold plan to increase Jet Ski licence fees by up to 88 per cent from next Monday.
The astronomical increases have been applied even though the current rate of inflation is 5.9 per cent – and neighbouring states Queensland and Victoria will not impose Jet Ski licence fee increases this year due to cost-of-living pressures across the economy.
Research by Watercraft Zone found the new Jet Ski licence fees are being applied before they have been gazetted – the formal term for being ‘rubber-stamped’ by policymakers.
However, this is believed to be a formality, so Jet Ski riders who have already paid the higher fees in the transition period are unlikely to be eligible for a partial refund.
Meantime, here’s a quick recap in case you’re playing catch up.
Jet Ski licence fee increases in NSW from 1 July 2024:
- 1 year Jet Ski licence: was $210, now $245 (up 17 per cent)
- 3 year Jet Ski licence: was $460, now $662 (up 44 per cent)
- 5 year Jet Ski licence: was $720, now $1042 (up 45 per cent)
- 10 year Jet Ski licence: was $1043, now $1961 (up 88 per cent)
How NSW Jet Ski licence fees compare to the rest of the world:
New Zealand: No Jet Ski licence required, boat safety course recommended.
United Kingdom: No Jet Ski licence required in most regions, boat safety course recommended.
Japan: ¥22,750 – equivalent to $215 Australian dollars for a five-year Jet Ski licence.
Hong Kong: HK$1255 – equivalent to $241 Australian dollars for a lifetime Jet Ski licence.
Germany: €101 – equivalent to $162 Australian dollars for a lifetime Jet Ski licence after completing extensive boating safety courses.
UAE (Dubai): AED320 – equivalent to $131 Australian dollars for an annual Jet Ski licence.
USA: Most states $US50 or less – equivalent to $75 Australian dollars for a lifetime licence.
Hawaii: Riders must complete a general boating and a Jet Ski safety course before paying $US125 for a lifetime Jet Ski licence.
US states that don’t require a Jet Ski licence include: Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, South Dakota, Wyoming.
Have your say: Petition against record high NSW Jet Ski licence fees
All our coverage so far on the NSW Government’s radical Jet Ski licence fee increases:
MORE: Our open letter to the NSW Government: please reconsider Jet Ski licence fees
MORE: NSW Maritime already has more Jet Skis, boats and safety officers than QLD, so why are our fees going up?
MORE: Renewed calls for urgent review into NSW Jet Ski licence fee increases
MORE: How to have your say and contact your local government representative
MORE: Jet Skis by the numbers: NSW, QLD and VIC data compared
MORE: Jet Ski injury statistics at odds with logic behind fee increases
MORE: Boating sector ‘blindsided’ by licence fee increases
MORE: NSW proposes world’s highest Jet Ski licence fees
