Yachties charting a better course

SUPERYACHT agent Carrie Carter returned from the Cairns Post’s meet-and-greet with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk with renewed hope about the billion-dollar industry’s future.

Ms Palaszczuk said she recognised the potential to grow Queensland’s superyacht market, currently stunted by federal laws forcing foreignowned vessels to pay 10 per cent GST on the ship’s value to run charters in local waters.

She planned to take the matter to the Council of Australian Governments meeting with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in September.

“I might write and see if we can actually get this on the agenda because I think Queensland would benefit from this,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

It was just the support Ms Carter had been hoping and campaigning for as chairwoman of the Super Yacht Great Barrier Reef group.

“I felt quite confident that we got our message to the Premier and that she is extremely supportive,” she said.

“I’m pretty sure she’s going to work with her government to push through this charter legislation to the Federal Government.

“It’s going to put the charter legislation over the line which is what we need.”

Ms Carter said it was important to strike before momentum died down with New Zealand’s victory in the America’s Cup last month poised to draw an influx of superyachts to the South Pacific.

“The offset from that is they’re going to want to go somewhere,” she said.

“If there’s the availability for these vessels to charter while they’re down here, it’s going to open up so many more jobs and dollars for our economy.”