Junk Cruises owner Brian Lambert did his homework when he bought the Queensland- registered boat three years ago.

At the time, Mr Lambert said authorities told him having the junk commercially registered in Queensland but operating in NSW would pose no problems.

The arrangement works but costs thousands of dollars, and the rules change every year.

This year Mr Lambert was forced to take the junk on a 440 nautical mile return journey to Queensland for a mandatory inspection by two Queensland surveyors.

The trip cost $1500 in fuel.

“This is an example of how red tape bureaucracy and non-cooperation between states is getting ridiculous and a real burden to a small business,” he said.

“Unfortunately each state does not accept the other state’s standards, even though it is supposed to be a national system.”

Mr Lambert, who is in a business partnership with his Queensland-based brother, said the up side was the junk was the safest boat on the coast and he got to see about 80 whales on the way to the Gold Coast and back.

A NSW surveyor inspected the junk on Monday and brought fresh hope the junk could be more easily and affordably registered in NSW.

Earlier advice indicated registering the junk in NSW could cost up to $25,000.

Mr Lambert said the Queensland registration held no benefits. He said NSW registration would save him at least $1500 a year.

The junk was built in Hong Kong in 1973 and operated on Sydney Harbour and the Gold Coast, after it was brought to Australia in the early 1980s.

The boat has been a familiar sight on the Hastings River for the past decade.

Meanwhile, the Member for Port Macquarie, Robert Oakeshott, has made representations to Ports and Waterways Minister Joe Tripodi on Mr Lambert’s behalf, and will to do so again if necessary.

The Council of Australian Governments decided in March this year to start moving the different state and territory regulations into one maritime industry regulatory framework.

A spokeswoman for NSW Maritime said all commercial vessels needed to be registered with NSW Maritime when they were on navigable waters in NSW.

“Nationally, there is a mutual recognition scheme for vessels in survey,” she said.

“This means any registered vessel from another state, that is in survey and without defects identified by the home state, is permitted to visit and operate in NSW for a period not exceeding three months without the need to change to NSW registration,” she said.