2021 Annual Report

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

2021 has been another challenging year for your Association, where the green shoots of recovery of the pandemic were dashed in late June with the rise of the delta strain of Covid-19 and with it, the Board was faced with the critical decision to cancel the Sydney Festival of Boating scheduled for the first weekend in August. The courage of my Board colleagues and executives to embark on the delivery of the Festival and then face the decision to cancel, is just one of many tough decisions that had to be made over the past two years. At all times, the prosperity of our members, the pursuit of the aims of the Association and the protection of the members assets have been guiding principles that have informed our decisions

The three pillars of the BIA over the past decade have been:

1. The growth in participation in recreational boating to drive demand for our member’s products and services

2. To broaden and strengthen our advocacy to government so we can support good policy and infrastructure investment and promote education over regulation to drive safety outcomes

3. Create career pathways for people to join our industry and provide opportunities for training and professional development for our members

The challenges of the past two years have been a positive catalyst for the rapid change in the structure and service delivery of the BIA. Change was forced upon us and we seized the opportunity to embrace these changes to make your BIA leaner, more efficient and much more effective. We are now capable of delivering more services and programs than ever before and have thrown off the shackles of the BIA being perceived to be dominated by boat show delivery.

Some key achievements over 2021 have been:

1. Our long-term collaboration and relationships built on mutual respect with the key maritime regulators around Australia have provided us with the opportunity to be involved in key discussions and decisions regarding the allowance of boating as a Covid-Safe activity. The foundations we built in 2020 became even more important in 2021 and as a result demand for boats and boating products and services have been at record levels. My thanks go to my Board colleagues and the BIA executive and team who have put in an enormous effort to achieve this outcome across the country under exceedingly difficult circumstances.

2. Our delivery partnership with Mulpha, the owners and operators of the iconic Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show to deliver the Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide Boat Shows (and other potential shows) going forward. The shows remain the property of the BIA and, together with Mulpha, we are excited about the next generation of BIA boat shows.

3. The launch and successful delivery of the Discover Boating campaign has created a strong platform for the increased digital presence and awareness of the boating lifestyle to more potential boaters with the premise “your next great adventure starts here” where the combination of metro and regional TV, social media and promotion on-line reached over half of Australia’s adult population.

Darren Vaux

4. The creation and launch of the BIA Marketplace, a member-only product and service listing platform creates a portal for members to connect with consumers who can buy with confidence knowing they are dealing with a reputable and professional business.

5. We have expanded our efforts and capacity in government advocacy where submissions were delivered to 40 leaders from Local Government to the Prime Minister over 2021 and representation on 44 committees at local government, state government and international level where I am proud to represent the BIA as Vice President of ICOMIA. In addition to this the BIA has taken the leadership on key Australian Standards that apply to our industry including the Australian Builders Plate, AS1799 Small Craft, AS3962 Marina Design, updates to AS4758 Lifejackets along with work on AS4997 Maritime Infrastructure.

6. We have worked closely with TAFE in each State to see the expansion of marine trades and engagement in schools leading to an increase in uptake in traineeships taken with members. Celebration of the importance of apprentices was recognised with the inaugural BIA National Apprentice of the Year Awards where winners in NSW, Queensland and South Australia were presented with Awards and the National Winner Doug Allan (pictured far left with NSW Chairman Adam Smith), was announced in October. It is so gratifying to see the calibre of young people coming into our industry.

7. We have continued to expand the reach of the Marine Card Access management System with over 40 marinas now using the system and 4500 active marine card holders. The system has increased in value over the pandemic as members realise the value of, not only the simplification of WHS compliance and site access, but the new QR code enabled login has made the process more efficient and contact free.

8. The development of the Marine Jobs platform in collaboration with the MIA and Superyacht Australia has created a central platform for members to recruit marine staff and a great resource for prospective employees.

9. The re-organisation of the resources of the BIA to be evenly distributed over all States and the implementation of technology that enables all team members to work remotely. We are now an efficient, connected and lean organisation that is also a truly representative organisation that equally represents our members in South Australia, Queensland, Northern Territory and New South Wales.

10. Based on our changing accommodation needs and market timing we have taken our property in Crows Nest NSW to the market to enable the realisation of value in the asset and the more efficient deployment of, and return on, member funds to support the mission of the BIA.

All these programs have one goal. To promote and preserve the prosperity of our members and I express my sincere gratitude to our members who have supported our efforts and our programs to guarantee their success.

This is my last report to you as your President. At our AGM in 2020 we introduced a change to the constitution that limited the term of the President to three years to ensure the Board implement a constant process of succession and renewal and my term concludes in May 2022. I intend to stay on as a member of the Board, should the Board concur, and represent the BIA on the ICOMIA Executive committee, the International Marinas Group and the ICOMIA Sustainability Committee.

The last three years has certainly been eventful. On reflection, the outcome has on the whole, been very positive for the BIA, we have faced hard decisions, seized opportunities, and ultimately reformed the BIA to have diverse sources of revenue and services making it more resilient and capable moving forward. I feel privileged to have had the opportunity over the last 15 years to serve on the Board and be President of the BIA NSW, to chair the Boating Industries Alliance Australia to bring the State BIAs to a national platform and to serve as your President. My deep gratitude goes to my Board colleagues, the State Councils and committees and to our tireless Executives and staff, all of whom go way above and beyond in the service of our industry and our members.

To our members I sincerely thank you for your ongoing support. The BIA only exists for you and, although much of what we do goes un-noticed, you can rest assured that the BIA is fighting for the industry every day.

In closing, I would like to re-iterate that what we do really matters. Boating enriches people’s lives; it brings friends and families closer together and as such is an important part of what it means to be an Australian. Keep up the good work!

See you on the water.

Darren Vaux President

GOVERNANCE AND PEOPLE

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Darren Vaux served as Chair of the Board and BIA President for a third year, with Andrew Fielding supporting as VicePresident and Simon Cook as Treasurer. The Board for 2021 constituted 11 directors, with three each from NSW, Queensland and SA, plus two Board-appointed directors making up the complement. The BIA Board met on six occasions during the year, all via Zoom online meetings. Attendance at meetings by the Board of Directors was very strong, despite the intense business conditions many experienced throughout the year

The 2021 AGM was also held online, with members participating in an online ballot, directed by the AGM Notice of Meeting agenda, in the week preceding the meeting date. Standing down at the 2021 AGM was Stuart Myles of Elite Ski Boats in South Australia, who also stood down as Chair of the SA Council: Stuart’s support for the BIA and his fellow members was well-received and he is thanked for his contribution. Andrew Hayes of Hallett Australia returned to the Board, representing South Australia

BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2021

STATE COUNCILS

The BIA State Councils continued to meet throughout the year to progress a number of local advocacy issues, projects and to consider the approach to future strategic direction of the Association, member support and boating promotion. Each Council was constituted of up to 11 Councillors, with a number of new member-elected representatives being returned at the relevant State Council AGMs in April; these meetings, for the second year running, were all held as online meetings, with ballots conducted by email

NEW SOUTH WALES STATE COUNCIL 2021

Councillor

Member Company

Position

Adam Smith Australian Boating College Chair

Simon Cook Cook Family Enterprises Pty Ltd Councillor

Brian Gatt Logix Enterprises Pty Ltd Councillor

Jon Hunt Hunts Marine Pty Ltd Councillor

Michael Jarvin Advanced Marina Management Pty Ltd Councillor

Ned O’Neil Rose Bay Marina Councillor

Tracy Souris Sydney Boathouse Councillor

Shannon Stocks Shannon Outboard Service Councillor

Steve Williams Standen Marine Councillor

Lorraine Yates White Bay 6 Marine Park Councillor

QUEENSLAND STATE COUNCIL 2021

Councillor

Member Company Position

Andrew Fielding Anchorline Yacht Brokers Chair

Ben Anderson Mackay Marina / Peter Hansen Yacht Brokers Mackay Councillor

Brett Bolton Coriolis Marine Councillor

Greg Haines (resigned during 2021) The Haines Group Councillor

Johan Hasser Mulpha Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show Pty Ltd Councillor

Nicholas Kitchen Yamaha Motor Australia Councillor

Sharon McNally Cumberland Charter Yachts Councillor

Nathan Nichols Cruise Craft Boats Pty Ltd Councillor

Mike Orsmond Rib Force Inflatables Councillor

Peter Ruhle Boating & RV Councillor

Fabien Vignes All Marine Spares Councillor

Sonya Wilmen Coverforce 3LP Councillor

Councillor Member Company Position

Miriam Griffen Griffens Marina Chair

David Binks Binks Marine Councillor

Allen Buckley Riverdance Houseboat Councillor

Tim Cook Club Marine Limited Councillor

Rob Cuming Christies Beach Marine Councillor

Jason Day Dockyard Councillor

Jason Deckers Seatrail SA Councillor

Trish Flaherty NM Insurance Pty Ltd Councillor

Andrew Hayes Hallett Australia Councillor

Richard Hopkins EJ Milde & Co Pty Ltd Councillor

Steve Ottaway Marineex Australia Councillor

BOATING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION LTD

STAFF 2021

Nik Parker Co General Manager (Membership & Programs)

Neil Patchett Co General Manager (Policy & Advocacy)

Simon Hazelbrook General Manager Finance & Administration Company Secretary from April 2018 (resigned January 2021)

Andrew Scott Financial Controller

Glenn Baumann Accounts Assistant

Shane Wilson Member Programs Manager

George Bolton Manager Business Support (SA & NT)

Michael Date Manager Business Support (Qld)

David James (joined November 2021) Membership Officer NSW

Kim Fox (appointed August 2021) Marketing & Communications Manager

Phil McDermott Marketing, Events & Special Projects (position made redundant August 2021)

Megan Robson Marketing & Communications Coordinator

OUR MEMBERS

MEMBERSHIP PROFILE 2021

Membership numbers as at end December 2021 were 650, consisting of a make-up of 628 full financial members and 22 life members

The annual membership renewal for 2021 saw a good retention rate despite the ongoing disruptions to business during 2021, with around 6% of memberships not continuing. During 2021 44 new members joined the Association, with 3 returning membership making up the final membership for end 2021

MEMBERSHIP BY STATE

The state-by-state breakdown of members shows 324 located in NSW, 203 in Queensland, 81 in SA, 2 in NT and 18 reporting a head office based in another state

THE BOATING INDUSTRY BIG PICTURE NUMBERS

The BIA annual State of the Industry survey was conducted in early 2021 for the tenth successive year, with useful data collected from approximately 30 per cent of members. The 2021 survey was also completed by members of BIA Victoria, MIA and AIMEX, to give coverage of the full scope of the marine industry in Australia

The survey recorded a solid increase in industry turnover at $8.835bn with just over 27,500 people directly employed by boating industry businesses. Industry sentiment feedback was extremely positive in the main, although in the second half of the year constraints on supply chains did of course impact business conditions at the time of the survey being conducted (May 2021).

The marine industry in Australia by the numbers

2021 Industry data

Turnover in 2020-21

bn $

27,630

8.835

People are employed directly by the industry, with more than 10,000 contractors also engaged

Industry profile by sector

The marine industry covers a broad range of sectors, with boat sales, storage, yard services and charter operators leading the way

Operating in the recreational, superyacht and commercial marine sectors in Australia

Industry profile by employment

Companies in the marine industry are predominantly smaller businesses, typically employing less than 5 people

But with a number of larger companies in the boatbuilding and professional sectors

925,000 More than registered boats

18,000 62%

are the fastest growing sector of powered vessels 13% 12% 6% 2% 4% Aluminium Boats

one of the leading pastimes in Australia – 1 in 10 Aussies have a boat licence Fibreglass 23%

PWC 34%

is 33% Aluminium

+

+

new registrations The fleet is growing with now registered

YEAR IN REVIEW

The year 2021 will be remembered for the impact a global pandemic continued to have on our society and our economy across Australia. It was a year for the BIA to focus firmly on its core objectives under the BIA Business Plan which were to:

• ‘Strengthen government advocacy and support for our members’

• ‘Grow participation in recreational boating’

• ‘Expand our professional development and career pathways’

‘Strengthen government advocacy and support for our members’

Advocacy to government continued throughout the year, from local issues such as revitalisation of Kiama Harbour in NSW, to national issues such as recognising ‘boating as an antidote to the pandemic’ raised with the Prime Minister. This involved multiple formal submissions to all levels of government and directly aimed at 40 decision makers in government

Throughout the year, the BIA continued to press for governments to recognise the social, health and economic benefits of getting out on the water.

BIA represented the association and its membership across 44 committees, providing insight for members into emerging trends in global issues and direct intervention in local matters, such as planning and infrastructure development, access to waterways, regulation and policy design and boating tourism promotion.

BIA’s representation on ICOMIA, for example, helps our industry connect with the global marine industry on wide ranging subjects concerning recreational boats. This supports management of issues, regulations and standards that relate to boating products, services and programs through information sharing from different jurisdictions around the world.

In 2021, the BIA secured a significant and new committee representation by joining the peak advisory body for recreational boating in the Sunshine State with formation of the Queensland Maritime Committee.

‘Grow participation in recreational boating’

Boating proved to be a standout choice in leisure activity through the year. The combination of no international travel, the staycation phenomenon, flexible work practices and the need to be COVID Safe saw interest in getting out the water ramp up significantly.

A boat is like an island where you choose where to go, when and who with, and its supports compliance with social distancing.

Not only that but it is good for your body and mind. Work in social science has shown that on a boat, feel-good hormones like dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin go up, while stress (cortisol) goes down.

Because boating supports COVID Safe and provides people with access to some of the best waterways in the world right here in Australia, it was no wonder business boomed on many fronts as public interest grew, as did participation.

Throughout the year, BIA delivered a program of communications about the health and well-being aspects of boating right up until the roll out of a Discover Boating Advertising Campaign which went with digital campaign elements from November and TV is starting from 1 December.

The BIA spearheaded this collaborative approach to ensure boating remains a standout choice in the crowded and competitive leisure market. A new full time Marketing and Communications Manager was appointed in August and led this three-month campaign designed to promote participation in boating and the boating lifestyle to millions of people across Australia.

The campaign was made possible with member support. Special thanks to Platinum subscribers: Yamaha, Mercury, Suzuki and Telwater; and Gold subscribers: Cruise Craft, GME and Pantaenius.

BIA Marketplace was launched in September, providing a member-only product and service listing platform, with the public able to search for products with confidence that they are provided by a reputable and professional business. While the pandemic forced the cancellation of major BIA events in 2021, considerable preparation and negotiation went into readiness to deliver events in 2022 and beyond.

BIA announced in December a partnership with Mulpha Events Australia, owner-operator of the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show. Mulpha Australia signed an agreement with BIA to be its Event Delivery Partner for the major boat shows across Australia.

This collaboration of industry leaders aims to enable the delivery of innovative and engaging world-class events with a significant focus on the boating lifestyle for the benefit of exhibitors, partners, visitors and the broader boating industry Boat shows remain a significant place to connect buyers with marine businesses, and together BIA and Mulpha aim to take the shows to the next level, introducing new initiatives and elements for the benefit of participating members, exhibitors and attendees

BIA has successfully operated the Sydney International Boat Show for more than 50 years and has regularly produced and presented major boat shows in Brisbane and Adelaide.

Mulpha Australia has managed and produced the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show (SCIBS) since 2002

‘Expand our professional development and career pathways’

CAREER PATHWAYS

Creating and developing the workforce for the industry was a priority over the year, with many businesses, particularly manufacturers, reporting trading conditions at levels never experienced. Several leading manufacturers undertook recruitment campaigns looking for hundreds of new staff, and the Member Services team worked to encourage and promote both job seekers and would-be trainees and apprentices to look at the opportunities in the marine industry was focused on securing the skills that we need in the future

Close cooperation with TAFE in each state has seen an expansion of apprentices in marine trades and a program of schools’ engagement in Queensland resulted in traineeships being taken up with member businesses. The importance of apprentices was evidenced in the inaugural BIA National Apprentice of the Year, with winners in NSW, Queensland and South Australia presented with trophies in October

WORK HEALTH & SAFETY

MARINE JOBS

Marine Jobs was launched in the year as the result of a collaboration between the Marina Industries Association, Boating Industry Association and Superyacht Australia. It is an online ‘career centre’ designed to make it easier for employers to advertise vacancies and for people to find the right job for them in the marine industry.

This new industry jobs platform provides a range of career resources, including information on apprenticeships and industry training, writing a resume and preparing for an interview. More info at marinejobs.org.au.

The BIA Marine Card and Access Management System now provides more than 40 marinas and marine sites around the country with surety that over 4500 active Marine Card holders have participated in the industry-specific work health and safety training induction program.

The program achieved good increase in new Marine Card holders during the reporting period, with many marine sites implementing access control requirements as part of their COVID safe planning. In September 2021 the new QR code enabled AMS login has added speed and efficiency to them management of contractors and visitors entering sites, in a modern contactless format.

NSW STATE COUNCIL CHAIR’S REPORT

The word of the decade must indeed, by now, indisputably be UNPRECEDENTED. The last 12 months have offered up numerous challenges and obstacles to the BIA, the industry members and society as a whole. We have all been learning how to best handle these challenges and obstacles on the run. There’s no playbook for what the world is experiencing through COVID

Boating has been a popular choice of socially distanced activity for many Australians, and the team at the BIA have advocated endlessly for that throughout the last two years of turbulence. Constant engagement with regulators in NSW and across the country has seen boating become one of the first activities relaxed or permitted post lockdowns

Of course, despite our best intentions and the deep planning for what was expected to be a fantastic celebration of boating, the Delta outbreak saw the Sydney Festival of Boating cancelled. If there is any good to come of that, it may be that we were able to cancel early enough to ensure any losses were minimal. The venues and event suppliers were incredibly generous and understanding to help us minimise the financial cost of no

Show

In the meantime, staff, directors and councillors were working to benefit the membership where they could working on advocacy matters, regulations and standards, member services and benefits and training pathways for the advantage of BIA members and their customers

In the area of training, we named our State and national BIA apprentices of the year to recognise new talent committing to the industry as the next generation of tradespeople and hopefully BIA members. We produced a one hour live webcast to all NSW schools about careers in the boating industry with TAFE, known as Greenlight day. We’ll look to repeat this at some stage in the future.

We’ve created connections to schools and careers advisers and every new class at TAFE in Ultimo, and I believe across the State, gets a visit from Michael Jarvin to tell them his own story in the industry as a tradesman and encourage them to stick with it, which he does without being asked or paid.

2020 and again 2021 saw the “traditional” way the BIA offers value to its members challenged by COVID. This required the association to consider how to reshape its staffing profile to serve the needs of its membership best, look to deliver events differently and review requirements of office accommodation and best use of assets - members assets

You will all have seen that the BIA has entered into an agreement with Mulpha, the owners of Sanctuary Cove and producers of the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show, for them to deliver BIA branded shows in Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide. This partnership will benefit the industry as we can leverage their event delivery resources and reduce our risk exposure, going forward. Notably, the BIA retains ownership of the shows and maintains control over significant decisions around all shows and can ensure decisions are made to the benefit of the members.

Following on from these changes, late last year, the Board decided to seek expressions of interest to sell the existing BIA building in Crows Nest. With less requirement for the space and the market in the area at record high values, the proceeds will be reinvested to serve the membership better.

In closing, I’d like to recognise the contributions and efforts of my fellow Councillors, Board members and our staff over the last 12 months, in what we have said many times before, are unprecedented times. We look forward to being of service to our fellow members going forward.

Adam Smith Chair BIA NSW State Council

Adam Smith

QLD STATE COUNCIL CHAIR’S REPORT

As with 2020, the past 12 months of 2021 have presented further challenges for members and the BIA team in Queensland. Business conditions have varied significantly across different sectors, with our colleagues in the far north of Queensland operating in the tourism sector navigating the complexities of continued disruptions to interstate travel, and of course, missing completely for a second year their regular international clients.

Boat manufacturers further south however have recorded their most successful period bar none in terms of new orders. So successful in fact that delivery for many brands now extends many months into the future. And then, as we closed out the year, the impact of global trade supply chains started to be felt in full with delays to new vessels being shipped or raw materials being delivered. Certainly not the year we had expected

Our involvement with the development of State maritime and business support policies and programs, including an extensive careers and training support effort, continued, notwithstanding the obvious hurdles of remote meetings and the demands on many of the agencies we work with in managing COVID-19 issues around the extensive coastline of Queensland. Our efforts were, as usual, productive, despite the challenges and a number of positive outcomes, particularly in way of skills and training and recruitment of new apprentices into the industry

Change is always a certainty however, and during the year we saw the departure of the heads of both Maritime Safety Queensland and the Gold Coast Waterway Authority, presenting some challenges and opportunities along the way. However, we have retained excellent working relationships throughout, and pleasingly established a new high-level industry-government council for the marine sector, as reported in elsewhere in this Annual Report. Our partners at the Department for State Development and TAFE continued to provide positive contributions to our work and to members directly

Our efforts to promote the marine industry as a career option for school leavers has met with ongoing success during the last few years, and during 2021 we added yet more apprentices into sectors much in need of an expanded workforce, spurred on by the presentation of several industry open day events with careers advisers, teachers and the would-be apprentices themselves. These programs extended during the year to include regions in the north of the state, as well as the heart of the manufacturing sector in SE Queensland. Thank you to all who have helped make this possible.

Finally, thank you to the Queensland State Council members and those Councillors that then go on to represent the State on the BIA Board of Directors. 2021 was again a very demanding year in so many ways and the support of all on these important governance groups is very much appreciated.

Andrew Fielding Chair BIA Qld State Council

Andrew Fielding

SA STATE COUNCIL CHAIR’S REPORT

2021 was another busy year for the BIA in SA with a number of important advocacy matters and skills-related matters addressed. These concerned access to waterways; improvements to boating infrastructure and facilities via SABFAC; the Whole of Murray proposal to manage derelict vessels; apprentices and training; and a number of issues related to commercial vessels supporting our Houseboat Hirers Division, an important part of the BIA in SA.

Business conditions throughout the year have been very challenging for our members, with a shortage of supplies for many boat dealers, manufacturers having to cope with delays in materials and associated price increases, or, in the case of the tourism sector, a record number of bookings in the houseboat industry, but tempered with late cancellations and associated refunds.

Overall, though, the membership survived the rigours and uncertainty of 2021 in good shape and it’s pleasing to see that boating was able to provide a release from the strains of dealing with COVID restrictions present in some way throughout most of the year, reinforcing the BIA vision for boating to be stand out choice in leisure for Australians!

It is also very satisfying to look back on the recent BIA report card, and the updated Membership Benefits to see just how much was achieved nationally for all members of the Association, despite the many curve balls thrown at us

In my first year as SA Council Chair, I would like to recognise all the members of the BIA SA State Council and thank them most sincerely for their valuable contributions and volunteering their time, while promoting and fostering the Boating Lifestyle, for the greater good of the whole industry

I would also like to thank my fellow SA BIA Directors, especially Richard Hopkins for stepping into Chair and represent the BIA at times in my absence, and most importantly the BIA team for their unwavering dedication, integrity and passion for the boating industry

We are very fortunate to have such highly skilled and knowledgeable professionals here in SA and across the wider BIA team.

Miriam

Chair BIA SA State Council

Griffen

Miriam Griffen

BIA DIVISIONS

MARINE BROKERS DIVISION

The Marine Broker division did not meet during 2021 but communications around the group continued, with a focus on supporting new brokers looking to join BIA and the continuing range of complaints, or concerns, raised by boat buyers, where they felt they have not had a good experience in the purchase of their vessel, or the vessel itself was not what they expected. The two were not necessarily connected but the continuing strong interest in owning a boat did lead to some underprepared businesses trying to sell boats without full knowledge of how to do so properly and responsibly

There were also a continuing number of customers making representations to BIA where they had not engaged a professional surveyor, or indeed had relied only on word-of-mouth and purchased the vessel sight-unseen. This is not a good practice and BIA has continued to promote to would-be-boat buyers the need to engage and work with a BIA member broker or dealer.

The need to provide boat buyers with a reliable source of quality and safety-checked boats for sale led to the launch of BIA Marketplace in spring 2021, providing a members-only platform for boat sales listings. Marketplace launched with more than 1800 listings from more than 85 participating members

BOAT MANUFACTURERS DIVISION

Following the publication of Edition 5 of the Australian Builders Plate standard in late 2020, the Boat Manufacturers Division continued to work with State agencies to have the new standard implemented uniformly and consistently in every State. Various legislative barriers had to be crossed which led to a piecemeal approach, with NSW introducing the new standard, as agreed, on 5 June 2021, followed in the latter part of the year by others. BIA’s advice during this period was always to make use of the new and improved standard from date of publication.

Associated with this, the review of AS1799, the Australian Standard for small craft under 15 metres, resulted in a new standard being published in early September 2021. The new edition of AS1799 is much improved over the original 10 year old document and was promoted to BIA boat manufacturer and importer members as the most suitable standard for compliance with the ABP for smaller boats, certainly all those under 8 metres. Since publication, further refinements have been identified and at the end of 2021 an amendment to improve the speed turn test and treatment of fuel tanks in terms of boat total load was being progressed.

MARINA DIVISION – STATE BASED

The marina divisions in NSW, Queensland and SA met once each during the year, in a mix of in-person and online Zoom meetings. The key topics of discussion focused on ongoing state-based matters, plus some of common interest related to vessel salvage, lifting of out-of-survey vessels and associated insurance for the marina; abandoned vessels; and marina lease and tenure policies

HOUSEBOAT HIRERS DIVISION

The Houseboat Hirers Division again experienced exceptional demand for houseboat holidays all year. Whilst enquiries on houseboatbookings.com dropped slightly by 7 per cent comparing 2021 to 2020, actual booking $value lifted 8 per cent and the conversion rate lifted 16 per cent on top of a very strong year previously in 2020

Nearly the entire fleet was booked solid from November until the end of February and likewise leading up to Easter, on the back of a strong TV advertising campaign on the Seven and Nine Networks. A number of new members came on board during the year, with some vessels changing ownership and being upgraded

FINANCIAL REPORT

For the year ended 31 December 2021

The audited Financial Report for the year ended 31 December 2021 identified a loss from operational activities of ($488,900). The comparative loss in 2020 was ($668,824). Unfortunate COVID19 / Pandemic control measures had continued into the 2021 year, which greatly inhibited revenue generating activities for the BIA.

The net present value of ‘available-for-sale financial assets’ (equity investments managed by BT through St George Bank) continued to increase in capital value on previous years for the BIA, now valued at $2,916,891 and provided investment income of $225,840 in 2021. Members funds are $5,211,906 as at December 2021, down on previous years of $5,343,426, reflecting the loss for 2021. The BIA is making necessary financial decisions to maximise revenue opportunities and minimise costs, ensuring a sound financial position for 2022.

Due to COVID-19, all the BIA Boat Shows were postponed for 2021, until 2022, reducing our income down to $1,684,579 for the year. Positively, membership and other general business income streams showed increases on 2021, with Commissions and Marine Card showing best increases on previous years. Additionally, the BIA registered for the Service NSW JobSaver incentive for staff, which assisted in covering some staff costs throughout 2021.

Total outflow of funds for the year, including overheads, was $2,173,478, including $345,803 in non-recoverable payments made for the Sydney Festival of Boating. The NSW State Government decision to shut-down all events on the 29th June 2021, caused this loss, also requiring the refund of deposits received from exhibitors of $1,650,000, income that would have been very welcome for the BIA in 2021.

Furthermore, in 2021, as a result of ‘Events’ shutdowns, the BIA Board took an additional decision to reduce other Show and Event staff positions in August 2021, in order manage the impacts of the pandemic and to minimise the outflow of funds for the BIA.

The BIA has, however, retained key personnel and remains in a strong position to support its core objectives which are to: grow participation in recreational boating; strengthen government advocacy and support for our members; and expand our professional development and career pathways.

The BIA however, continued to invest funds in promoting, developing and growing the industry for our future wellbeing, and continued working with our Federal and State Government partners for improved outcomes for the boating industry and boating lifestyle. Through 2021, the BIA stepped up its our engagement with Federal and State Governments to support industry, advocated for improved government strategics, policies and legislation; and kept State members representatives on the road, liaising with members regularly.

Full Financial Reports of the BIA Ltd are available at bia.org.au. The Financial Report has been prepared and presented in accordance with Australian Accounting Standards (including the Australian Accounting Interpretations) and the Corporation Act 2001. BIA is required to report related party transactions between directors and the businesses they are related to. This disclosure is reported as note number 14 in Notes to the Financial Report. These transactions with director related companies were on an arm’s length basis and are all business to business transactions. Income and expenses derived from the related parties would have been the same had they not been related. The related party transactions relate to membership subscription fees.

Your directors offer their time and support to improve and develop the industry, and no remuneration is received.

The financial decisions that the BIA made during 2021 were, again, not easy. These were decisions to ensure our longevity. In 2022 and beyond. Our aims and objectives of the BIA for members and the boating community will continue to be achieved, through support from our dedicated staff, direction from our Board and our membership

FINANCIAL SUMMARY

BOATING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION LTD

FINANCIAL OVERVIEW - 2021

INCOME

Education and training

$367,054, 22%

Interest & Fund Distributions

$226,107, 13%

Licence fees

$41,891, 2%

Membership subscriptions

$552,033, 33%

Rent and office services

$83,468, 5%

Shows & events

$0, 0%

Other income

$414,020, 25%

EXPENSES

Advertising & promotion

$266,577, 12%

Consultants & projects

$52,445, 2%

Depreciation

$50,706, 2%

Education & training

$129,647, 6%

Shows & events

$345,803, 16%

Staff costs

$989,669, 46%

Subscriptions

$45,438, 2%

Other expenditure

$293,193, 13%

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION

AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2021