The Broads Authority's Private Bill has completed all its stages in the House of Commons and moved on to the House of Lords. The Bill is expected to be implemented in the New Year.

Some minor changes have been made but all the main provisions of the Bill, as deposited in November 2005, remain intact. The Bill, whose prime aim is to improve safety on the water will receive its second reading in the House of Lords on 8 October and is expected to receive Royal Assent in the New Year.

The Bill was delayed in the Commons by a debate in which the main focus was the proposal that there should be direct elections to the national park authorities and the Broads Authority. The Minister, Jonathan Shaw MP, has issued a consultation paper on this matter and it is expected that he will come to a view on the suggestion in the New Year. Direct elections are outside the scope of the Broads Authority Bill and further legislation would be required to make this change.

In the meantime the Authority has been consulting the Navigation Committee and boating organisations on the implementation of some of the key provisions in the Bill. The Bill will introduce several key safety measures designed to make boating safer on the Broads.

• All powered vessels and all unpowered boats over 6m² will be required to carry third party insurance. This has been a long held ambition of the Authority's Navigation Committee. Next year boat owners will be advised of the benefits of carrying insurance and it will be formally required in April 2010.
• All commercial pleasure boats will have to be licensed, starting with day boats and followed by weekly hire boats. At present only boats in North Norfolk are licensed. This will require operators to hold a landlord certificate, demonstrate a hand over process and compliance with the hire boat code which covers boat stability and personal rescue equipment and demonstrate that gas installations are safe.
• It will enable the Authority to administer and amend more easily the Boat Safety Scheme which was introduced in the Broads in April 2007 through byelaws. This will keep it in line with the national scheme, allowing certificates to be transferred between navigation authorities. Some of the key safety provisions will also be extended on to adjacent waters such as Wroxham Broad so that most of the craft will have to be registered, carry a Boat Safety Certificate where necessary, have third party insurance and pay an annual toll.
• The Bill will give the Broads Authority better powers to regulate waterskiing and wakeboarding and deal with overhanging vegetation where it poses a hazard to navigation.