Call for boats, jet skis to slow down

FILE

Rotorua's harbour master is emphasising the need for the lakes' boaties and jetskiers to keep to the rules on the water this summer.

Speeding is the most common reason for Bay of Plenty Regional Council maritime officers and lake wardens to have to pull people up on the lakes.

People failing to keep to the rules are putting themselves and other lake users at risk, Bay of Plenty Regional Council lakes harbour master Pererika Makiha said.

He said offences during last summer were the same as the previous year, other than speeding on jetskis, which almost doubled. Fifteen jetskiers were warned and five fined for speeding, compared with eight warnings and three fines the previous year.

There are 32 active lake wardens spread around the seven main lakes, who are fully trained in terms of the region's water safety rules.

Triple the number of jetskiers received fines, mostly for not having an observer when towing, or using a closed area of the lakes, and double the previous year's number were warned. Jetskiers were given 21 notices for offences such as exceeding five knots, not using an observer or not wearing a lifejacket.

There were fewer warnings and infringement notices issued for boats using the lakes, except for those not wearing lifejackets. The number of boaties fined dropped from 22 to five last summer, and the number warned for speeding dropped from 18 to 11.

Non-motorised recreational water users were not immune with four people in canoes requiring warnings about not wearing lifejackets.

Most offenders came from Tauranga, almost double the number from the previous year, while offenders from Hamilton almost halved. The number of local offenders stayed the same, with 13 stopped, Mr Makiha said.

Offences in lakes Rotoma, Rotoiti and Tikitapu all rose, but offences were halved on lakes Tarawera and Okareka.

Mr Makiha said the number of accidents, incidents and near-misses had risen in line with an increase in the number of jetskis on the region's waterways, particularly on the lakes. Most incidents involved males aged 17 to 30.

"We wonder how many unreported near-misses there have been between jetskiers and other lake users. People forget that they are as powerful and as fast as a car, and the law currently allows anyone 15 and over to be in charge of one. With so many people out on our waterways, one person behaving badly can put a lot of other people at risk," Mr Makiha said.

The Regional Council's Maritime team will have little tolerance this summer for vessel users not wearing lifejackets, not having an observer when waterskiing and exceeding five knots near swimmers, divers and small boats.

All vessels, including jetskis, are required to carry enough properly fitting lifejackets for everyone on board, and people should wear them when the skipper requires it, such as crossing a bar, or in extreme weather. In the Waikato, council bylaws require everyone in a boat under six metres to wear a lifejacket while underway.

"We also recommend that kayakers, stand-up paddle boarders, waka ama paddlers and canoeists wear a lifejacket at all times," Mr Makiha said.

Jetski rules

• You must be 15 or older to drive a powered vessel capable of travelling faster than 10 knots.

• You must not go faster than 5 knots when within 50m of another vessel or person in the water and within 200m of the shore, a dive flag or any structure.

• Life jackets of the correct size and fit for each person on board a vessel (including jet skis), must be stowed on board if not being worn.

• The wake of your vessel must not cause danger or damage to other vessels or water users.

• When skiing/towing there must also be an observer aged over 10 years on board - it takes three to ski.

• The person being towed must wear a life jacket.
• You can be fined $200 for breaching the rules.