Extensive research by Watercraft Zone has confirmed Jet Ski riders and boaters in NSW are about to be slugged with the highest fees on the planet from 1 July 2024.
The fees for a Jet Ski licence in Dubai, Hong Kong, Japan and Germany – among the richest economies in the world – are a fraction of the cost of a Jet Ski licence in NSW, Australia’s most populous state.
The NSW Government is about to apply Jet Ski licence fee increases of up to 88 per cent – even though the current rate of inflation is 5.9 per cent, and Queensland and Victoria have not applied increases this year due to cost-of-living pressures.
The unfathomable and unfair increases – no other NSW Transport licence fees have increased by as much – have prompted the boating industry and the Jet Ski community to accuse the NSW Government of a blatant cash grab.
Rubbing salt water into the eyes of NSW Jet Ski licence holders: most states in the US charge a nominal fee of $US50 or less (about $75 in Australian currency) for a lifetime licence – after Jet Ski riders complete a boat safety course.
And in some jurisdictions in the US, a Jet Ski licence is not required at all.
New Zealand also does not require riders to obtain a Jet Ski licence, and in the UK a Jet Ski licence is not compulsory in most regions, though a boat safety course is recommended.
On the eve of the introduction of record high Jet Ski licence fees in NSW, research by Watercraft Zone found no other place on the planet charges close to $2000 for a Jet Ski licence.
When the price of a 10-year Jet Ski licence in NSW eclipsed $1000 three years ago, it set a new world record.
From next Monday, the NSW Government will shatter its previous record by increasing the cost of a 10-year Jet Ski licence from $1043 to $1961 – a staggering increase of 88 per cent, even though the current rate of inflation is 5.9 per cent.
A one-year Jet Ski licence in NSW is also about to hit a new high – $245 annually, versus $45 for a one-year licence in Victoria, and $124 for a lifetime licence in Queensland.
Proposed 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
