THE REQUEST FOR TENDER - BUISNESS EXIT ASSISTANCE - FISHING CONCESSION VOLUNTARY SURRENDER
Please note that the tender Closing Time has been extended to 2.00pm Australian Capital Territory Time, 22 June 2006 to provide operators with more time to consider whether or not to submit a tender
1 The Australian Tax Office has released a Class Ruling regarding the Business Exit Assistance - Fishing Concession Voluntary Surrender, Business Advice Assistance and Boat Scrapping Incentive components of the package. To access the ruling please click here
The following information has been taken from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) Website
To inform stakeholders of the process involved in tendering for Buisness Exit Assistance, DAFF has proposed the following port visits in Tasmania - a number of other port visits are scheduled through-out the country in the month of April
Port visits will be run from 9am through to 12 noon.
Hobart - Monday 10 April 2006
Quarantine Centre
Macquarie Wharf No 1
Hunter Street
Hobart TAS 7000
Launceston - Tuesday 11 April 2006
Colonial on Elizabeth
Cnr George and Elizabeth Streets
Launceston Tas 7250
For more information please call us at TFIC or click here to access the DAFF website
Business Exit Assistance – Fishing Concession Voluntary Surrender
The Australian Government has allocated $150 million for a one-off, voluntary tender process to allow individual fishing businesses to exit the industry. The competitive tender process has a capped budget and is intended to reduce excess fishing capacity in fisheries that are subject to overfishing or at significant risk of overfishing.
Concession holders in all Commonwealth-managed fisheries (except internationally managed and Joint Authority fisheries) are able to tender, but the following four target fisheries have been identified:
- the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery (excluding the Great Australian Bight Fishery, which is not subject to overfishing);
- the Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery;
- the Bass Strait Central Zone Scallop Fishery; and
- The Northern Prawn Fishery.
Commonwealth and State fishers affected by the declaration of Marine Protected Areas in the South-east Marine Region will also be eligible for Business Exit Assistance.
Business Advice Assistance
The Australian Government will reimburse fishers up to $1,500 (GST inclusive) to help cover costs for obtaining professional advice on Business Exit Assistance.
Assistance for Skippers and Crew
The Australian Government will provide a one-off lump sum of $5,000 for skippers and $3,000 for any crew member who loses employment as a direct result of a successful tender for Business Exit Assistance.
Business Restructure Assistance
The Government is finalising Business Restructure Assistance to help businesses affected by reduced fishing activity to restructure their business operations.
Details on eligibility criteria, guidelines and application forms will be available from this website soon.
Fishing Community Assistance
The Government is finalising Fishing Community Assistance to boost local economies in communities affected by the loss of fishing activity.
Details on eligibility criteria, guidelines and application forms will be accessible available from this website soon.
Australian Fisheries Management Authority Levy Subsidy
For those remaining in the industry, the Government will provide $15 million over three years to subsidise the Australian Fisheries Management Authority’s fisheries management fees. The subsidies will be provided on a reducing scale, commencing 2006-07.
The Government will provide a further $6 million for science, compliance and data collection to improve the management of Commonwealth fisheries.
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