Queensland, Western Australia ease COVID-19 boat restrictions

In Queensland, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the state’s citizens would be allowed to ride jet skis and go boating from next weekend after the number of coronavirus infections fell dramatically.

A statement from the state’s Health Minister, Steven Miles, said Queensland had earned a reward for its hard work. “We have done the right thing,” Miles said.

However, the government said it would monitor the spread of coronavirus in the wake of the more relaxed measures, and did not rule out another crackdown should the rate of infection jump.

Western Australia announced yesterday it would allow groups of up to 10 people to gather as part of a “cautious relaxation” of COVID-19 control measures that include “non-contact recreational activities” such as fishing and boating.

"The changes announced today are sensible and reasonable and are designed to provide some relief for Western Australians," West Australian Premier Mark McGowan said.

The new rule aligns WA with South Australia, which also allows groups of 10 people to gather. The move is believed to be a stimulus for industries such as the real estate sector, which can now hold open for inspections – something it wasn’t able to do under the previous two-person limit.

Both states are enforcing a strict 50-kilometre limit on the maximum distance people can travel from home.

The Boating Industry Association of Australia praised both states' move to loosen the restrictions.

BIA president Darren Vaux said the announcements were "good news" for boaters, businesses and jobs while maintaining a conservative approach to protecting public health.

“Recreational boating out in the fresh air and sunshine is good for mental and physical health and is a low-risk activity that a family can easily do whilst adhering to social distancing and hygiene rules," Vaux said.

“Governments recognise that getting out on the water is a way of life for many Australians and it is estimated more than 20 per cent of all Australians engage in some form of boating activity annually.

“It was good to see Queensland enable households to travel 50km from home for recreational boating, especially as 85 per cent of the population lives within 50km of the coast. This adds to the existing permitted uses of fishing, paddle and sailcraft in that state for exercise.

“In WA, the State Government has also said, based on health advice, they can cautiously relax the number for indoor and outdoor gatherings to a maximum of 10 people, while practising social distancing.

“Reactivating a low-risk activity like boating will start to repair the boating industry which is closely aligned to tourism and is hurting with staff layoffs and business closures as a result of COVID-19.”

Meanwhile, Victoria is stickling to its hardline stance of banning boating and fishing after announcing last week that kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddleboards were now regarded as permitted activities under Stage 3 lockdown laws.

Victoria is the only Australian state or territory to ban recreational fishing and boating under the lockdown.

A Victorian Department of Transport spokesperson confirmed to boatsales.com.au today that the department had “no plans to change the rules” relating to both fishing and boating.

Times have been especially difficult for Victoria’s regional marine industries, hit hard by recent bushfires that killed off summer tourism.

Adding to the bushfire impact, the COVID-19 control measures have effectively dried up foot traffic into new boat showrooms, and forced orders to be either shelved indefinitely or cancelled as buyers lose work.

Many have closed their doors rather than try and trade through the lockdown.

“We can’t even service boats because people aren’t allowed to bring them here to have them serviced,” one regional boating retailer said. “You look around here and there are only two shops open. This has been really bad for everyone.”

Boatsales.com.au has contacted the Victorian Department of Transport for comment.

The latest figures show Victoria currently has 1349 active cases of coronavirus in the state, just 319 more than Queensland.

Australia's boating industry had a turnover of $8.65 billion in the 2018-19 financial year, and directly employed more than 28,000 people with more than 14,500 contractors.

Three out of every four people employed in the sector are in small businesses, employing local workers and supporting local communities.