Biosecurity NZ to decide today on jet boat race

Biosecurity New Zealand will meet today to decide whether the world jet-boat marathon in the South Island should go ahead this weekend.

The discovery of the invasive water weed didymosphenia geminate (didymo), also known as rock snot, in several South Island rivers, has caused alarm due to its ability to spread rapidly, choking waterways and killing invertebrate life essential for fish survival.

Marathon organiser Eddie McKenzie said he had been in talks with Biosecurity NZ, the Otago Regional Council and Environment Southland since last Monday after didymo had been confirmed by Fish and Game in the Hawea River.

"There has been a lot of dialogue, we have been at the forefront of all the meetings," he said.

Biosecurity NZ, which is responsible for policing waterways, has the ability to cancel the race if it believes it poses an environmental risk.

Mr McKenzie said 20 months of work, resource planning and consents had been put into organising the marathon and if it was cancelled the loss could be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Hopes were now relying on providing effective sterilisation of the boats to convince Biosecurity NZ to allow the marathon to go ahead, he said.

"The authorities say that sterilising is not enough but we say we can do it."

Biosecurity NZ communications spokesman Phil Barclay said a meeting today would assess the information Jet Boating NZ had presented and what risk the marathon presented to the waterways.

"We are mindful that it is this weekend and a number of parties, not just jet boating, are involved," he said.

Chairman of Environment Southland Stuart Collie questioned whether letting the marathon proceed was a good example to set for the rest of the country.

"This is a major concern to us and we have to assess whether our rivers will be at extreme risk if it goes ahead," he said.

Mr McKenzie said many of the 61 entrants, from as far afield as Canada, were already in the country and were preparing for a race which he hoped would still be going ahead after today's meeting.

- NZPA