Changes to AFMAs licensing systems that will reduce transaction and
application costs
1. Providing for renewal of Fishing Permits online – Implemented - fishers registered
on GoFish are now able to log on and select their permit to be renewed within two
weeks of the previous permit expiring. GoFish will automatically assess their
applications and grant the relevant concession in real time.
2. Single party registration of leases - Implemented – A lease can now be registered
solely by the originating party removing the need for a lessee to be involved in the
registration process. With leases making up 75% of all licensing interactions this is a
significant simplification.
3. Multi-season registration of leases – Implemented – Fishers can now register a lease
online to reoccur for multiple seasons. This saves the need for some fishers to re
submit lease applications at the start of each season.
4. Suspending fees for online trading of licences – consultation completed, finalising
regulatory change. Removes direct charges for AFMA online licensing system and
move them to the levy base.
5. Simplified boat nominations - consultation completed, finalising regulatory change.
Change will allow fishers to pool their quota allocations with all the boats in their
company.
6. Transitioning Quota Holding Permits to SFRs - with CFA for Comment - To lower
administration costs to AFMA and industry, AFMA proposes a one-off, one-for-one
grant of SFRs for holders of quota permits.
7. Electronic delivery of correspondence - with CFA for Comment - AFMA is
streamlining and simplifying it current correspondence and looking to use existing
technologies such as GoFish to deliver tailored correspondence to meet individual’s
needs.
8. Removal of direct Scientific Permit application fees - with CFA for Comment – AFMA
is proposing to remove the direct charges for scientific permits and move them into
the levy base.
9. Automatic granting of fishing permits - with CFA for Comment – AFMA is proposing
to make amendment to allow it to automatically grant people permits without them
having to reapply each year.
10. Improving Levy and Fee for Service arrangements- with CFA for Comment -There
are a number of efficiencies that can be gained through a suite of changes to the Levy
and Fee for Service invoicing and debt recovery arrangements. This project would
replace levy and fee for service invoices with a combined statement, spread levy
Canberra Office
Box 7051
Canberra Business Centre ACT 2610
Phone: (02) 6225 5555
Fax: (02) 6225 5500
ABN: 81 098 497 517
AFMA Direct 1300 723 621
Darwin Office
GPO Box 131
Darwin NT 0801
Phone: (08) 8943 0333
Fax: (08) 8942 2897
www.afma.gov.au
Thursday Island Office
PO Box 376
Thursday Island QLD 4875
Phone: (07) 4069 1990
Fax: (07) 4069 1277
Protecting our fishing future
costs over the full year, reduce the maintenance costs for AFMA’s Licensing systems
and reduce the financial risks to the organisation.
11. Providing for new permits to be applied for online – with CFA for Comment - Adding
the functionality for fishers to submit application for new permits to GoFish. Covers
Scientific Permits, Fish Receiver Permits, Carrier Boat Permits, Fishing Permits and
Quota Holding Permits.
12. Providing for fishers to add and remove agents online - with CFA for Comment.
AFMA is proposing to add the ability for a fisher to add or remove GoFish users as
their agent online rather than submit paper based application for AFMA to action.
13. Provide access to concession conditions online - with CFA for Comment. It is
proposed that a person would be able search for the conditions that apply to a
particular concession or a particular boat.
14. Simplifying licensing outputs - with CFA for Comment. AFMA is reviewing the on
boat output from licensing with a view to simplify and update. It is expected that this
will lead to a significant reduction in the paperwork required to be carried on board a
boat. AFMA is considering simplifying the extract of register to solely display the
boats nominated, the amount of SFRs held and the quota remaining to be fished. As
was done with levy invoicing AFMA is considering issuing a single extract that covers
all relevant fisheries rather than on a per fishery basis.
15. Simplifying under catch provisions – with CFA for Comment. In order to receive
under catch an operator must, among other things, hold one SFR of the species in the
new season. Occasionally fishers forget this and neglect to lease in quota leading to
them missing out on their under catch. The need for the 1 SFR clauses is no longer
required and as such AFMA proposes to remove it.