The Australian Fisheries Management Authority’s (AFMA) is pleased to announce that it continues to honour its commitment to not raise key rates higher than the 2005-06 level, corrected for consumer price index (CPI).
Although total levies for this year are 10.15 per cent higher than 2013-14 at $12.754 million, since making the commitment to industry in 2010 that it would keep levies at or below the rate applied in 2005-06 (once corrected for CPI increases), AFMA has outperformed the cumulative CPI by more than $22 million. This means that industry has paid $22 million less than it would have done if CPI increases had been applied each year.
AFMA has managed to keep costs down by creating efficiencies across the organisation such as web-based services, fee for service arrangements and reducing travel and accommodation costs by utilising video conferencing.
The increase in levies for 2014-15 is primarily a result of a year of significant cyclical investment in research to ensure the long term sustainability of Commonwealth fisheries.
AFMA remains focussed on providing efficient and cost effective fisheries management to counter rising costs and is working closely with the Commonwealth Fisheries Association to identify further opportunities for efficiencies that can be passed on to industry as savings.
Levy Guide for 2014-15
To assist industry with their 2014-15 levies, AFMA has created a simple-to-read guide that details the payment arrangements associated with the management and research levies for all Commonwealth fisheries. The levy guide also contains invoicing and payment dates for the three levy instalments as well as providing individual concession rates.
The levy guide is available for download on AFMA’s website.
The first round of levy invoices for 2014-15 will be generated and posted out to concession holders in mid-January 2015.
If you have any questions regarding the levy for your particular fishery please contact your AFMA Fisheries Manager.
If you have any queries relating to the payment of levies please contact AFMA’s Licensing Policy team on 1300 723 621 or licensing@afma.gov.au.