Accredited Marine Surveyor Application

Eligibility

Applicants must hold at least 1 of the below Qualifications:

1. Master Class 1 (Unrestricted) Certificate OR Master grade Certificate of     Competency as outlined under Schedule 1 of Marine Orders 71 (Masters and deck officers) 2014 made under the Navigation Act 2021
2. Advanced Diploma of Maritime Operations (Master Unlimited) 
3. Diploma or Advanced Diploma of Marine Surveying with a transcript that shows that the modules of dry bulk cargo and grain operations have been completed.
4. Diploma of Maritime Operations (Watchkeeper Deck) with a transcript that shows that the modules for dry bulk cargo and grain operations have been completed

AND either of the following Experience:

1. 12 months served on a bulk carrier with at least 6 months in the capacity of Chief Officer
2. 3 years’ experience as a marine surveyor of bulk carriers loading grain

Prior to application, applicants must have also performed at least 10 bulk vessel surveys in no less than 2 months and no more than 2 years. They must have been accompanied by another accredited marine surveyor (or a person who was a qualified Marine Surveyor prior to commencement of the AGSA scheme).

 If these 10 supervised ship surveys were completed more than 3 years ago, Marine Surveyors will also need to provide evidence they performed at least 3 bulk vessel surveys in the most recent 3- year period

Acceptable evidence of ship surveys may be:

1. Your name as an attending surveyor listed on the Fitness to Load (FTL)     certificate that is provided to the authorised officer at the completion of the surve
2. Submission of a list of your ship surveys which must include:

•        Date

•        Ships Name

•        Grain Type

•        Port of Survey

•        Attending FTL Surveyors name and signature

•        Masters signature and ships stamp

When applying to AIMS for AGSA accreditation, applicants must provide the following evidence:

Certified evidence requirements

You must provide Certified copies of

• Your employment contract or letter from your Employer or
• Your business registration certificate,
• Your 10 ship survey record (new bulk vessel surveyors), or
• Where your 10-ship survey record is more than 3 years old you must supply 1 verifiable FTL certificate for each of the previous 3 years
• Your resume and
• Your photo identification.

Experience evidence

You must provide one or more of the following to demonstrate the relevant experience requirement:

Maritime qualifications (as outlined above in the qualifications section)

Marine surveyor qualifications (as outlined above in the qualifications section)

Sea service records

Discharge records

 NOTE

If your qualification option requires dry bulk cargo and grain operation modules, also provide a copy of your transcript showing completion of the relevant modules

Insurance evidence requirements

You must hold current Professional Indemnity Insurance with a limit of liability that is not less than $1,000,000. If you are a sole trader, the insurance certification must be in your name or your Business name.

 If you are employed by a company or organisation, you must provide a copy of your employer’s Certificate of Insurance.

Other requirements

You must also complete an acknowledgement form attesting to your agreement to conduct your duties in accordance with this Standard and all Guidance Notes and instructions that may be applicable from time to time and published on the AIMS website

Background

From 1 July 2023, it is a requirement that anyone intending to carry out surveys of Bulk Vessels under the Export Control Laws in Australia, be accredited by AIMS under the Accredited Grain Surveyor Assurance (AGSA) Scheme.

The AGSA Scheme aims to provide increased assurance that marine surveyors performing these Bulk Vessel Surveys are qualified and are performing activities as a marine surveyor in accordance with all relevant legislation, standards and policies in force from time to time.

Marine surveyors seeking to become accredited must submit an application to AIMS in accordance with the AGSA Accreditation Policy, including by completing this form. 

Applications

Eligible persons may apply for accreditation by AIMS under the AGSA Scheme by:

1.           paying the applicable fees to AIMS; and

2.           completing and submitting this form to AIMS; and 

3.           providing copies of ALL required supporting documents to AIMS.

AIMS encourages you to read the Standards for Empty Bulk Vessel Surveys and the AGSA Accreditation Policy to ensure that you are familiar with the application process and the terms and conditions of accreditation under the AGSA Scheme.

Before applying for accreditation, applicants must confirm they meet the qualification and experience requirements for accreditation as listed above.

An application to become accredited is open to anyone who meets these requirements. There is no condition for the applicant to be a member of AIMS. The application process is the same for all applicants wishing to be accredited.

In instances where an application is not approved, the applicant will be advised in writing and will have the opportunity to rectify any deficiencies and resubmit their application. In the case of resubmission, applicants will be advised of the outcome of their application within 10 days of their resubmission date.

Payment of Fees
An accreditation application fee and an annual fee are payable by the applicant prior to accreditation being approved. The fees are outlined in the fee schedule on the AIMS website and subject to change at the discretion of AIMS.

 The accreditation period is from July 1 – June 30 each year. Applications can be made at any time and the annual fee is calculated on a pro-rata basis until June 30 each year. Applicants will receive an invoice for payment of the application fee and the annual fee. The application fee is non-refundable.

If the application is either withdrawn by you or not approved by AIMS the application fee is not refundable.

 

Renewal Applications

Accreditation will be required to be renewed by the 1st of July each year. To renew accreditation, Marine Surveyors must be able to show they have undertaken at least one bulk vessel survey in the previous 1-year period and that their insurance is current.

Accreditations which are not renewed by this date or do not comply with the bulk vessel survey requirement will expire and the Marine Surveyor will no longer be accredited to undertake bulk vessel surveys under the AGSA Scheme until all requirements are met and the accreditation has been renewed. If you are currently, or have been at any time during the last 12 months, an Accredited Marine Surveyor under the AGSA Scheme, you are required to pay the annual accreditation fee when you renew your accreditation. You are not required to pay another application fee unless your accreditation was expired for more than 60 days.

 

Completion of this form

Please complete this form with all the requested information.

If AIMS is unable to understand or read the information included in this form, AIMS may be unable to process this application. Please ensure that this form is completed in a manner that is able to be clearly read and understood by AIMS.

You are required to certify at the end of this form that the information you have provided is accurate and true. For this reason, please ensure that you provide honest responses and provide correct and complete information.  

If you have any questions in relation to the completion of this application form, please contact AIMS.

 

Certification of Documents

A list of documents that must be Certified are provided above. 

Documents can be certified in Australia by a Justice of the Peace (JP) or by individuals from specific professions, including accountants, legal practitioners, police officers, postal managers, school principals, and medical practitioners and bank managers

You can often find a Justice of the Peace in a courthouse, your local council or a police station or a public library.

In the event that you are unable to obtain certified copies of your documents, you may instead complete a Statutory Declaration by completing and signing the following form before a qualified witness: https://www.ag.gov.au/legal-system/publications/commonwealth-statutory-declaration-form 

In your Statutory Declaration, you must make a statement to the following effect (provided that such a statement is true to the best of your knowledge and belief):

1.    The following documents provided by me in support of my application for accreditation by AIMS under the AGSA Scheme (together, the Provided Documents) are true, complete and accurate copies of the original documents held by me:

(a)   [List documents provided in sufficient detail that those documents can be identified (eg. NSW Driver’s Licence Number 34567890)]

2.    The Provided Documents are my own documents, and are accurate records of my identity, experience and qualifications.

3.    I am able to produce for inspection by any person the original Provided Documents upon request.

4.    I understand that a person who intentionally makes a false statement in a statutory declaration is guilty of an offence under section 11 of the Statutory Declarations Act 1959 (Cth) and I believe that the statements in this declaration are true in every particular.

 Your Privacy

Your privacy is very important to AIMS. Once this application is received, AIMS will store the application (together with all supporting documents) securely in accordance with its obligations under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

Your personal information will be stored for a period of three years after the expiry or cancellation of your accreditation.

Photo ID Requirements

A photo of the applicant is required for your Grain Accreditation Identification Card.
Poor quality photos will not be accepted.
Images must show a full front view of your head and shoulders.
If you normally wear glasses they should have untinted lenses in the photograph.
The photo must have a plain light coloured background.
The photo must be in sharp focus and clear.

Please note: publication of all details other than surveyors name is optional but inclusion assists shipping industries, exporters and authorised officers verifying the currency of a surveyor’s accreditation.

Certification and Warranty

By submitting this form, you certify and warrant that:

 

1.     All of the information provided by you in this form is true, correct and complete.

2.     All of the documents provided by you in support of your application for accreditation are true, correct and complete, and all of the information set out in those documents is accurate.

3.     In the event that AIMS requests further information or documents from you in support of your application for accreditation, you will provide AIMS with information and documents that are true, correct, complete and accurate.

 

You acknowledge that AIMS is entitled to, and will rely upon the information and documents you have provided and the certifications and warranties you have provided in relation to that information and those documents.

You also acknowledge that you have read and understood the AGSA Policy and Standards for Empty Bulk Vessel surveys and any applicable Guidance Notes as published on the AIMS website and agree to conduct your surveys in accordance with these standards and guidelines.

Terms of Accreditation

By submitting this form, you confirm that you understand and agree to the following terms:

 

1.      AIMS will process this application in accordance with the AGSA Accreditation Policy, and you agree to participate in that process as necessary in good faith and in a manner that will enable AIMS to efficiently process and determine your application.

2.      If granted, your accreditation under the AGSA Scheme will continue until it automatically expires on the next occurring 30 June. If you wish to renew your accreditation beyond the expiry date, you must submit a further application for accreditation in accordance with the AGSA Accreditation Policy.  

3.      AIMS may provide your personal information to third parties in accordance with the Privacy Act and as otherwise required or compelled by law.

4.      AIMS will handle and investigate any complaints made in relation to any Accredited Marine Surveyor in accordance with the AGSA Complaint Handling and Investigation Policy.

5.      Where a decision by AIMS is able to be reviewed, that review will be conducted in accordance with the processes set out in the AGSA Complaint Handling and Investigation Policy.

6.      Whilst you are an Accredited Marine Surveyor, you will:

a.      comply with all policies and guidance notes enacted in respect of the AGSA Scheme from time to time;

b.      comply with all laws relevant to the performance of Bulk Vessel Surveys and other activities engaged in by you as a marine surveyor;

c.      hold and maintain for the term of your accreditation a professional indemnity insurance policy in respect of your work as a marine surveyor, taken out with a reputable insurer and with a limit of no less than $1,000,000.00;

d.      promptly inform AIMS in writing of any changes to your:

                                                    i.     personal information;

                                                   ii.     employment details or arrangements;

                                                  iii.     professional indemnity insurance;

                                                  iv.     eligibility for accreditation under the AGSA Scheme; and

e.      conduct your work in accordance with the Standards and Guidance Notes in a diligent, responsible and professional manner and not engage in any conduct which may bring the marine surveying industry or AIMS into disrepute.

7.      AIMS is not responsible for your work as a marine surveyor, and your accreditation does not create an employment (or similar) relationship between you and AIMS. AIMS is not responsible for your conduct and it is your responsibility to ensure that you are competently and properly carrying out your work and duties as a marine surveyor, including in performing bulk vessel surveys, in accordance with all relevant laws and regulations.

8.      You indemnify, and will keep indemnified, AIMS against all claims (including any action, claim, proceeding, expense including legal costs, demand or damages, whether prospective or realised, and whether arising before, while or after you are an Accredited Marine Surveyor under the AGSA) made against AIMS which arise from or in connection with:

a.      Your eligibility to make this application, and any representation made by you in relation to that eligibility;

b.      Any act or omission (whether or not negligent) done or omitted to be done by you in the course of, or in connection with (whether directly or indirectly) your work as a marine surveyor, including but not limited to the performance of bulk vessel surveys; and

c.      any representation (whether or not fraudulent) made by you in relation to your qualifications, identity, or accreditation status.