Well, here we are again at the end of another year and what a year it’s been!
Firstly, this year there has been lots of ups and downs for many within the industry. We wanted to mention the importance of mental health to start our year in focus newsletter as unfortunately there have been too many incredible members of the marine industry that have left us too soon. Whether it be finding a healthy work and life balance, health or personal issues or business demands. Your mental health matters and it’s time to start the conversation. If you or someone you know needs support, you can contact Beyond Blue 24/7 on 1300 224 635 and you can even chat online.
AMSA inspections were on the increase, and we were called upon to assist both existing and new clients with their SMS’s. Our existing clients all passed with flying colours, which brings us great satisfaction knowing the SMS’s we develop continue to be welcomed by our governing body. New clients were mainly penalised for not having their SMS updated from the changes to Marine Order 504 last year which is concerning as one change focused on life jackets – we are pleased to see more marine business’ taking their SMS’s seriously and ensuring they meet AMSA regulations as well as covering them legally in case of an incident.
Saying that, training! My goodness, our training course bookings have seen a huge increase in 2024 and across Australia keeping Lindsay (and Wayne on occasion) very busy. We really love that more operators and boat owners want to ensure everyone onboard is fully trained in case of an emergency or incident. And for businesses, making sure all onboard are inducted correctly and the SMS is explained, whilst ensuring safety also ensures they are covered legally. This has been instrumental with several staffing complaints we have assisted with this year!
A new and old face joins Shorlink! Wayne’s daughter Kalinda, who many have met, is now a permanent feature in Shorlink. Kalinda will be working closely with both Tracey and Wayne both in the office and out on the road with training, vessel inspections and more! Kalinda is excited to be joining full-time and we are so pleased to have her with us!
As the Managing Director, I am always focussed on ensuring our business provides services to the marine industry when required, especially when it comes to education and safety. So, in the latter part of this year, we have been approached and now provide our training services to many Marina’s and their workers as well as their boat owners too! Having sponsored events by these Marina’s to their boat owners has been so vital in educating but also safety for not only the Marina, but the vessels themselves.
Without slowing down, I’ve travelled near and far to complete SMS handovers, action our management requirements, met new clients, networked, joined several marine educational bodies and even been submitting editorials! It’s been a great year and I too, am working on the healthy work and life balance for both myself, my family and Tracey in our office too!
On that note, what will 2025 bring! We hope to see our commercial clients continue to invest in their businesses and crew. Safety, education and compliancy should always be paramount. If you aren’t sure where to begin, or how to implement, give us a call. We would like to assist you with growing your business.
To our Marina’s – it has been an such a pleasure travelling around Australia meeting new and old faces and would hope to continue creating another space in our marine industry that is focussed on safety and training. We would like to see more Marina’s adopting these sponsored events which brings not only added value to your offerings, but the boat owners love it!
And to our valued boat owners!!! This year has again been wonderful looking after you all. We hope that 2025 brings you more time on the water and if not, speak to us about what we can do to take some of the pressures off your hands to make sure you do!
DON’T FORGET OUR OFFICE CLOSURE DATES: We are closed from the 14th December to 5th January. However, as always, if an emergency happens during this time, please do not hesitate to contact Wayne directly on 0423 313 790.
Lastly, thank you! Thank you for your support of not only our business’ here at Shorlink, but also our staff. Both Lindsay and Tracey are always met with respect and gratitude when they are dealing with our clients which I really appreciate as a business owner. Like we say – great staff, great clients means great business!
