skip navigation
Home >  Consumer Protection >  Consumers >  Motor vehicles >  Buying a vehicle >  Marine Industry

Marine Industry

The ACL prescribes a compulsory information standard known as the Australian Builders Plate (ABP).

The ABP is a plate which must be fitted to all new recreational vessels (generally motor powered boats) supplied in Western Australia.

  • The plate provides a prospective purchaser or owner with safety related information.
  • The plate for a boat of less than six metres differs from that of a larger boat.

The plate information must be determined by reference to a relevant national boat building standard.

Consumer Protection’s role is to provide advice to industry and where necessary enforce compliance with the standard. We do that by operating a pro-active program which sees officers directly visiting retailers and manufacturers. At these visits we may ask for proof regarding the calculation of information which is provided on the ABP.
  
The ABP is fitted only to recreational boats manufactured after 2 September 2006.   A number of recreational watercraft such as sail boats, canoes, and 2 seater or smaller Jet Ski’s are exempt.

There are different information requirements for boats of less than 6 meters in length and those of more than 6 meters.

The information required on the plate for a boat of less than six metres includes:

  • The name of the builder
  • HIN number or build date
  • Max engine power and Max weight of motor
  • Max number of persons that can be carried
  • The total maximum load in kilograms (includes weight of passengers, extra gear and engine)
  • The type of buoyancy used.
  • The national standard used to calculate the plate information

The information required on the plate for a boat of more than six metres includes:

  • The name of the builder
  • HIN number or build date
  • Max person that can be carried and
  • The Maximum load in kilograms
  • The national standard used to calculate the plate information

Relevant National standards include:
  

  • Australian Standard AS1799
  • ABYC standard for small craft
  • ISO (a number of standards apply) 

Fitting the ABP

As the plate information requires calculation against a standard, manufacturers should determine the information that goes onto the plate because it requires complex calculations relating to matters such as buoyancy and carrying capacity, and clearly the boat manufacturer should be fitting the plate.


However, a retailer should not supply a boat without a plate fitted. This is particularly relevant for retailers that import directly from overseas.

  • The plate must be fitted before a boat is ‘supplied’ in trade or commerce.
  • It must be fitted near the helm of the boat.
  • If a manufacturer or retailer supplies a boat without a plate fitted they commit an offence.