Lives put at risk by dodgy skipper training
Exclusive, Kent Acott || The West Australian
Saturday, 1 April 2017 12:55AM

Mike Beanland, president of the WA Boating Industry Association. Nic Ellis
Hundreds of lives are being put at risk on WA waterways because recreational boat skippers are being inadequately trained and examined by some shonky and incompetent assessors.

And according to the head of WA’s Boating Industry Association, very little is being done to stamp out the bad eggs who have been accused of refusing to conduct proper training, cheating on assessment tests, forging documents and taking cash payments.

“This is dangerous,” Mike Beanland, who also runs Perth Boat School, said.

“Members of the public are driving boats after no training. Or, worse still, driving boats after very dangerous training.

“And the public is left to think they have been properly assessed and given a skipper’s ticket because they are competent — but they are not.”

A student taking a written examination, takes the exam sheet and goes to an area where most of the answers are displayed. The assessor sits there and does nothing. Supplied
A person seeking a recreational skipper’s ticket is required to be assessed by one of more than 300 authorised assessors in WA.

Mr Beanland said he had become aware of poor and fraudulent training and assessments in 2009 and began reporting them to the Department of Transport soon after. But verbal and written complaints did not lead to action.

It was only after Mr Beanland obtained CCTV vision last year showing a number of breaches that action was taken against one assessor — but that was only a 24-hour suspension.

In recent times, he has sent local backpackers to act as “moles” and get their skipper’s ticket.

Mr Beanland said these “moles” witnessed assessors who failed to train them in all the required tasks and told them the answers to some theory questions.

“The department is aware of these concerns and what is going on but have done little, if anything, to make moves to prevent this abuse”
Mike Beanland

One assessor did not even conduct a practical test but ticked off the practical assessment sheet and presented the backpacker with a skipper’s ticket.

Another assessor admitted forging the signatures of students.

“The department is aware of these concerns and what is going on but have done little, if anything, to make moves to prevent this abuse,” Mr Beanland said.

“In one incident, an assessor told one of our moles to reverse up to a simulated person in the water during a man-overboard exercise.

“This is about as bad as things can get — reversing up to a person is the single most dangerous thing that a skipper can do because it can so often cause death and serious injury.

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“Propeller strike is a major cause of death in boating incidents.

“It is absolutely unacceptable that for years and years this assessor is allowed and encouraged to operate in this industry that should only have the highest standards.

“His business of cheating with incorrect assessments for years and years has earned him hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

The department’s general manager of marine safety, Ray Buchholz, said it enforced a rigorous audit regime for training and assessment services in WA.

Since the inception of the skipper’s ticket in 2007, the department had suspended 16 assessors and cancelled the authorisation of another four assessors.

Two recent formal complaints were being investigated.

“The department is committed to ensuring the integrity and standards of the recreational skipper’s ticket program are maintained and will continue to take appropriate action against those who fail to meet these standards,” Mr Buchholz said.

Mr Beanland is seeking a meeting with Transport Minister Rita Saffioti to raise his concerns.