Proposal to axe VHF licence less than popular

Sailors who want to use VHF radios will still have to obtain a Marine Radio Operators VHF Certificate of Proficiency in the future, if comments forwarded to mysailing.com.au are any indication.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority recently announced a review of the system and invited comment from recreational boat owners.

ACMA said it had a preference for removing the mandatory requirement for recreational boaters to hold a certificate of proficiency for communications in VHF bands in Australian territorial waters.

Chairman Chris Chapman said on the evidence available, the ACMA had reached the view that there were more effective ways to achieve its spectrum management objective of enabling the correct use of VHF channels and protocols by recreational boaters.

“Information and awareness campaigns aimed at all marine radio users, not just VHF, would promote correct channel usage and radio protocols,” he said.

“The approach preferred by the ACMA would reduce the regulatory burden on the boating community, in keeping with government deregulation policy.

“Importantly, recreational boaters would continue to be able to obtain certificates of proficiency and would still be required to hold a certificate for VHF communications outside Australian territorial waters

“The ACMA is also interested in ascertaining whether certification would be best managed by an organisation with closer ties to the marine community.”

Comments closed at the end of February. Submissions forwarded to Cruising Helmsman from bodies such as the Boat Owners Association of NSW were against axing the certificate. In fact the BOA suggested retaining the certificate but making the syllabus and curriculum more relevant and topical, with a compulsory practical component as part of the training.

The ACMA did not respond to an email from CH/mysailing requesting an update.