Improved Second-Hand Dealers Reg in NSW

BIA boat broker representative Steve Williams © Neil Patchett

The Boating Industry Association today welcomed changes to the NSW regulation that impacts dealers of second-hand vessels.

The Boating Industry Association (BIA) said the recently gazetted Pawnbrokers and Second-hand Dealers Regulation 2021 (NSW) had cut red tape and was a step forward for industry.

BIA brokers representative Steve Williams said: "The approval of these changes is the culmination of many years of lobbying by the team at the BIA and we are all very pleased to have been able to assist our members with such a positive outcome.

"These amendments to the regulation are a significant step toward bringing the legislation into line with the original aims, that being to assist the tracking of easily transported and concealed stolen goods.

"In-water, non-trailerable vessels have never fitted these criteria and are at a significantly lower risk of theft. The requirements of the original legislation were an unnecessary administrative burden to boat dealers and brokerages that has now been removed."

The new rules will reduce red tape for second-hand boat dealers.

• Non-trailerable boats that cannot be lawfully towed by a light vehicle in NSW will be excluded from the definition of 'second-hand goods', meaning that:
  • If licensees deal only in 'non-trailerable' boats - they no longer need a licence and may be eligible for a pro rata refund of licence fees
  • If licensees deal in both 'trailerable' and 'non trailerable' boats - they will continue to need a licence but will no longer need to comply with the Act for large boats
• Signs only need to be displayed prominently and so that customers can easily read them, with no restriction on colours, fonts or font sizes
• Boats do not need to be physically 'tagged' with the contract number if they have a unique ID, and they may be kept at any convenient place in NSW provided the location is recorded electronically
• Records of a buyer's name and address will only need to be made if the sale price is $100 or more, but the sale price will always need to be recorded.