SEPTEMBER 19, 2017: LEGISLATION introduced into the Federal Parliament last week paves the way for greater economic benefits for the businesses of the Whitsundays from the lucrative superyacht industry.Amendments put up on the Coastal Trading Act 2012 would make Australian destinations more attractive because of the removal of GST imposts and voyage restrictions.The Whitsundays is internationally recognised as one of the great aquatic playgrounds and yet those operating superyachts have had to contend with a range of access and cost factors which have made a visit here hard to justify.The Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Darren Chester has now introduced amendments which include changing the definition of a voyage to include foreign-flagged superyachts. This means those superyachts would no longer be deemed to be ‘imported’ every time they operate in Australian waters.We currently can’t compete with the cheaper options of Fiji and New Zealand but this will level the playing field and open the gateway for significant economic benefits for our marine tourism industry and all the businesses which support them.One superyacht spending a week in the Whitsundays has the potential to provide a $50,000 injection into the local economy.The superyacht industry also estimates the Liberal National Government’s proposed reforms could contribute an extra $1.1 billion to the Australian economy over the next four years.These proposed changes complement the introduction of more superyacht anchorages in the Whitsundays which took effect early last month.