If you’re located on the eastern seaboard you may feel like the past few months has gone by in a deluge. So much time spent indoors as heavy rains and floods have impacted many parts of NSW and Queensland over February and March. Those impacted by the floods will have a long road to clean up and recovery and our consultants are on hand to assist where applicable.
Autumn is half way through and usually a great time for boating. In many areas the conditions are great but in flood and rain affected areas, many waterways are still impacted with debris and pollution. So take care.
But while La Nina continues to bid the longest of long farewells as our climate driver – a la a John Farnham farewell tour, boat owners can finally plan to get back out on the water and boat buyers can look to resuming purchasing plans.
We bring you a few snippets of information on updates from different regions and topics relevant to recreational boating and finance.
BOM in Caretaker Mode
If you follow the BOM (Bureau of Meteorology) on social media which we thoroughly encourage to access boating weather forecast, you may have noticed a somewhat unusual post this past week. The post stated that BOM was in ‘caretaker mode’. What? Yes, after the Federal Election was called for 21 May, as a Federal Government organisation, the BOM also apparently goes into caretaker mode the same as the government of the day.
According to the post however, this will not impact the services provided by the Bureau during this period. So users should still be able to access weather and climate forecasts and other information. Boaters are strongly advised to download the BOM app for instant updates on the latest weather conditions before heading out on the water.
Brisbane River Reopens
It’s been quite a while but the Brisbane River has finally reopened for recreational boats following the February/March storm event. The unprecedented weather event caused extensive damage to not only to infrastructure and vessels that were on the waterway but from debris. Debris and rubbish washed down and into the river creating massive obstacles and dangers to waterway users.
Australian and US Navy vessels actually came in to assist with the massive clean-up operation and organisations including Ocean Crusaders have been hard at work cleaning up debris from the River and further afield.
After these massive efforts, Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ) has announced the waterway is now reopened. But the clean-up is still continuing and boaters should take care. Many navigational signs and markers will still need to be replaced and hazards may still be found in the water. The work continues!
Debris which sank is still be identified and salvaged. MSQ has set up a service to reunite owners with boats that were washed away and have been recovered. Contact the department for details.
Port Phillip Bay News
One of the final stages of the Andrews’ Government promise that Port Philip Bay be for recreational fishers has been reached. From 1 April 2022 Port Philip Bay in Melbourne became essentially commercial net free.
In a statement, Victorian Fisheries Authority said that only 8 of the original 43 commercial net fishers now remained in the bay. The 8 remaining would not use nets and were to supply snapper. The changes created by this legislation include:-
- Nets no longer will be authorised for use in Port Philip Bay or Western port.
- Snapper quota established.
- Quotas issued to 8 remaining and eligible licence holders for snapper.
Read the full details and how it may affect your boating on the bay.
Sanctuary Cove Tickets on Sale
As we posted last week, the countdown is on to the first major boat show of the year – Sanctuary Cove in May. Tickets are on sale and those planning to buy at the show should contact us to discuss pre-approved boat finance.
NZ Borders Open: Hutchwilco Boat Show
After a very long closure, the New Zealand border has reopened to vaccinated Australians, paving the way for keen boating enthusiast to head across the ditch for the Hutchwilco Boat Show. Held in Auckland, this show is massive and could be worth including on a trip to NZ.
The show will be held 12-15 May in Auckland. Not long to go so now is the time to start thinking marine finance. Pre-approved loans available through Jade for those looking to visit the NZ show and purchase. We can arrange loans for boats purchased outside of the Australian market. Our consultants can even provide assistance and direction in regard to transporting the vessels and the customs requirements.
We’ll showcase what’s on at Hutchwilco Boat Show in an upcoming article.
Boat Loan Interest Rates: Timeline
The countdown is now on to get in with your boat purchase and your boat loan before the RBA moves on interest rates. The increase is highly expected to occur in June and additional rate rises could be made in following months.
If a new boat with finance is on your to do list, then now could be the time to do that and take advantage of the current historic low interest rate scenario.
Contact Jade Boat Loans on 1300 000 003 to discuss boat finance
DISCLAIMER: THE INFORMATION AND SPECIFIC DETAILS CONTAINED IN THE CONTENT OF THIS ARTICLE HAVE BEEN PREPARED AND ARE PRESENTED PURELY AS GENERAL INFORMATION AND NOT INTENDED AS THE ONLY SOURCE OF FINANCIAL ADVICE FOR BOAT BUYERS AND LOAN BORROWERS. FOR THOSE THAT CONSIDER THEY REQUIRE SPECIFIC ADVICE, THEY SHOULD CONSULT WITH A FINANCIAL ADVISOR. LIABILITY IS NOT ACCEPTED IN REGARD TO ERRORS AND MIS-PRESENTED DATA AND DETAILS HEREIN.
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