The NSW Minister for Roads and Ports Duncan Gay today announced a partnership with the Australian boating industry to stage a major boating conference in Sydney in 2013.

Mr Gay made the announcement at a Maritime Advisory Council address today.

Mr Gay said the State Government was fully supportive of this initiative to collaborate on and strengthen boating safety and the marine industry.

“Sydney siders are keen boaters and boating safety is a very important issue for us so I’m pleased to be able to announce that Sydney will be hosting this inaugural event,” he said.

“Sydney is the ideal host city for this event which will attract around 600 delegates and up to 80 exhibitors from across Australia and overseas.

“State Government support and participation will be through collaboration between the Office of Boating Safety and Maritime Affairs (OBSMA), within Transport for NSW, and the Maritime division of Roads and Maritime Services.”

Marine13 will, for the first time in Australia, bring together representatives of marinas, recreational boating and boating safety to the one event.

“Stakeholders from these various streams of the boating and marine industry will be able to share information and ideas in a bid to prepare the sector for challenges and growth into the future.

“This event provides a significant opportunity for the new arrangements this government has put in place where the strategic and policy experts of OBSMA and the operational experts of Maritime can partner to support the future directions of the boating and marina industry.”

Mr Gay said the recreational boating industry was one of the largest industries in NSW.

“The recreational boating industry is estimated to be worth $2 billion to this State and some $7 billion nationally,” he said.

“The NSW boating industry employs around 14,000 people and the related sector of recreational fishing supports more than 32,000 jobs in this State.”

The government is currently liaising with potential overseas participants such as the US Coast Guard, Canadian Safe Boating Council and the US National Safe Boating Council and looking at industry companies to exhibit advances in such areas as propeller strike safety and boating education software.

Darren Vaux, Chairman of the Boating Industries Alliance Australia and Andrew Chapman, President of the Marina Industries Association of Australia, are co-promoters of the event.

“We welcome the involvement of the NSW Government as a principle partner in delivering this important event,” said Mr Vaux.

“It will provide an unprecedented platform for collaboration, innovation, education and understanding between key stakeholders in the marine Industries in Australia and abroad and lay the foundations for a safe and prosperous boating future.”

“Attendance at this event is a must for industry and government leaders alike who drive change and are interested in innovation, technology, management, risk management and pathways to success in the boating and marina industries in Australia and beyond.”

Andrew Chapman said that the Marina Industry was looking forward to building on the success achieved over the previous National Marina Conferences with the synergies that the recreational boating and safety sectors would bring to the forum.

“The Forum will attract significant interest and attendance from the emerging markets in Asia,” Mr Chapman said.

“There is no doubt that Sydney is the right place to stage the first forum across all marine sectors.”

Marine13 is scheduled to be held at the Sydney Convention and Entertainment Centre from 28 to 30 April 2013.