Public input sought on Gisborne's navigation safety bylaw

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

A draft Navigation Safety Bylaw, approved by Gisborne district councillors for public consultation, applies to all navigable waters throughout the district.

Councillor Aubrey Ria, speaking at a council extraordinary meeting, asked if the council would be wasting money by trying to enforce bylaws over such an extended area.

Harbourmaster Peter Buell said he would not be sailing a vast distance off East Cape to enforce lifejacket bylaws.

But the change would allow him “to do things with big ships”.

The draft bylaw would make it much easier to force ships to change their fuel outside of territorial waters.

Engine failures were more likely after ships changed from heavy sea-going fuels to the lighter fuels required when coming into port.

On lifejackets, Mr Buell said people were very good about using life jackets.

The draft bylaw would not change anything for recreational fishers.

But if a life jacket issue arose, it would be easier to deal with under a bylaw  than under the Maritime Transport Act, he said.

Cr Teddy Thompson said most public submitters did not support extending the bylaw across all navigable waters within the district.

Other proposed changes in the bylaw are:

■ Extend the life jacket requirement to require every person on board a recreational vessel of six metres or less to wear a personal flotation device when a vessel is under way.

■ Prohibit the discharge of cargo into navigable waters.

■ Require vessels to be identified by either a name or number, visible on the vessel.

■ Increase requirements for oil spill contingency plans, including notification to the council in advance.

■ Require two operational means of communication to be carried on most vessels with some exceptions such as for sporting events and surfing.

■ Increase safety for swimmers in open water by requiring swimmers 200 metres or more from shore to tow a safety float or wear a brightly coloured swim cap.

■ Increase the available space to catch crayfish by reducing the craypot exclusion area within the harbour.

■ Revoke historical exemptions on the Waiapu River (the Water Recreation (Waiapu River) Notice 1979) which exempted the area from speed rules.

Consultation will be held in April and May with hearings and deliberations due in May and June.

A final decision and subsequent adoption of the bylaw will occur in August.