Ship surveys to cost less

Press, 29 February 1984, Page 6

Ship surveys to cost less

PA Wellington Most commercial shipowners will pay lower survey fees as the result of a change to regulations, says the Minister of Transport, Mr Gair. Under the new regulations owners will be charged according to the time taken to survey their ships instead of the existing system where fees are charged on a set scale according to tonnage. The main changes were a reduction in the hourly rate for a surveyor’s time from $3O to $2B, reductions in most basic survey charges and the inclusion of a surcharge for travelling time where the surveyor had to travel more than 50km, said Mr Gair. The new fees apply from March 1. The existing survey fee structure was introduced in May, 1982. Since then industry groups had made representations to the Government for fee reductions. “The new fees will mean a reduction in the Ministry’s total income from surveys but have been designed to encourage shipowners to present vessels in a condition less likely to involve inspectors in unnecessary time on each survey,” Mr Gair said. Most shipowners will pay lower fees.

The exceptions will be the minority of cases where Ministry surveyors have to survey ships away from main ports or when a merchantile marine office was norma lh’ closed. A further exception will be when the condition of the vessel involves the surveyors in more work than' should normally be expected.