woko said..
I'm not suggesting full blown cat 1 or a RYA certification, at least a general boating license would introduce elements of safety at sea, colregs & passage planning. It might avoid a situation like the tragedy in Ballina
I agree with woke, there needs to be something more.
Anyone who spends too much time on any of the other social platforms would have to have noticed the hugely varied answers and opinion to posts and questions such as 'what does this mean' or 'who gives way'. I know some of those posts are designed to create an argument (more than discussion) and a lot of commenters are just keyboard warriors who've never progressed from playing with plastic toys in the bath tub, but there are a lot of real sailors amongst them too.
Here in WA and it's probably the same in all Aust states, you can go and get your skippers ticket on the river in a little aluminium dingy and then go skipper your 50' Riviera straight away. Its scary.