CHAIR - In relation to MAST if I can, thank you for coming along, Mr Finch. There seems to have been, when you look at page 575, a 6.4 per cent reduction in payments.

Mr FINCH - Every three years we renew motorboat licences and they are all due to be paid by tonight so they will come in the 2005-06 year. We have allocated 70 per cent to be paid in the 2005-06 year and 30 per cent in 2006-07, hence the cashflow we have. In reality, if everyone was to pay on time, we usually find that less get paid in the year they are due and rather more pay it in the following year. But that accounts for the drop.

CHAIR - What is happening in relation to jetties? I have had a couple of inquiries recently about jetties and building jetties, and problems with that. Am I right in saying there is a moratorium on jetties?

Mr FINCH - This is a matter for the Minister for Primary Industries and Water, because it is a crown land management issue. For those jetties that are on crown land, and for those jetties which are on land administered by Parks, it is a matter for the Minister for Tourism, Arts and the Environment.

CHAIR - Does MAST have anything to do with it at all?

Mr FINCH - No.

CHAIR - Nothing at all?

Mr FINCH - No.

CHAIR - There was a problem at one stage, as you know, with the boat ramp at Orford, East Shelley Beach. That seems to have sorted itself out now, is that correct? Is there still simmering discontent about that?

Mr FINCH - I do not think there is simmering discontent, but there is an issue about the ownership of a private jetty next to the boat ramp. I understand that is for sale.

CHAIR - It has a gate on it and barbed wire around it.

Mr FINCH - Yes.

CHAIR - There are no performance indicators presented from MAST that I could find. I could be a bit dilatory in not finding it, is that right? The paper itself, I could not find any performance indicators.

Mr FINCH - We have performance indicators in the report, we have just reviewed them this year, and we will have new ones in this year's annual report.

CHAIR - And how do they match up with the previous year's? I will ask you a couple of questions on it, as I understand you raced out of here and went away without any questions answered.

Laughter.

Mr FINCH - We have a wide range of indicators which relate obviously to safety issues, and fatalities. And those are going very well. The introduction of life jackets in 2001 has made a big difference to the number of fatalities, which were running at an average of three-and-a-half a year, and are now down to about two. Obviously the recent tragedy at Port Arthur is a case where you get incidents like that that cause a hiccup in the figures, much as you do with the road toll. But safety issues are going very well. The performance on management of assets is also going very well. We have an asset management database and have key information on that. Our assets are better managed and in better condition than when we took them over.

CHAIR - It seems now that people are quite happy once they get into a small boat to put on their life jackets. From what I can see, if people are not really good at that, the boat does not take off before they have their life jackets on. Has any testing been done on that, there would be, I imagine. How many people have we got out there making sure that occurs?

Mr FINCH - Well, obviously Tasmania Police takes a very active role in monitoring compliance of wearing life jackets, and they have their own performance measures about how many boats they want to check every month, and in which region, and they monitor that very closely. MAST only has three officers in monitoring compliance. One part-time and two casuals. And again they target compliance usually at areas where there are problems, for instance Lake Barrington in the north-west, where you have conflict between skiers, swimmers and campers. We try to resolve those sorts of issues and leave safety compliance for the police.

CHAIR - The issues at Lake Barrington, the same much further on downstream is where you have water skiing as well, is that what you are talking about?

Mr FRENCH - Yes, that is right. Near where the water skiing clubs are, and where the general road access is, there has been in the past quite a history of problems. Fortunately it seems to have been largely resolved now. We have quite a lengthy consultation process with the people who use Lake Barrington. We have signs there, and we have people in there to help enforce them. But generally, things seem to have settled down.