You are legally required to meet all your Environmental Management Charge obligations such as maintaining appropriate records and providing information and payments by the due dates.
What are the penalties?
There are penalties for:
- Late payment: penalty of 20% per annum from the due date of payment
- Failure to give information or returns: maximum penalty $4,400
- Failure to pay collected amount to the GBRMPA: maximum penalty $1,100 per day (up to a maximum of 21 days)
- Failure to collect a charge from a visitor: maximum penalty $5,500
- Not keeping proper records: maximum penalty $5,500
- Altering records to claim exemption: maximum penalty $5,500
- Not retaining records for two years: maximum penalty $5,500
- Not recording information in the logbook supplied or in a form approved by the GBRMPA: maximum penalty $5,500
All figures are valid as at 1 October 2005.
False and misleading information breaches are dealt with under the Crimes Act 1914.
Can I lose my permit?
Permits may be suspended if the permit holder fails to comply with the regulations requiring the provision of information, charging returns, logbook pages and payments. It is illegal for you to operate in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park if your permit is suspended.
Permits may be revoked 60 days after a permit is suspended. This would mean that you no longer have a permit to operate in the Marine Park.
Infringement notices
You could be issued with an infringement notice for breaches of record keeping requirements. In this case, breaches are dealt with by an 'on the spot fine' instead of progressing the matter through the courts.
Infringement Notices may be issued for:
- Not keeping proper records: penalty $550
- Altering records to claim exemption: penalty $550
- Not retaining records for two years: penalty $550
- Not recording information in the logbook supplied or in a form approved by the GBRMPA: penalty $550.
All figures are valid as at 1 October 2005.
