Authorities are cracking down on unruly boating behaviour this summer as more and more Aussies take to the water on personal watercrafts, including jet skis — which have soared in popularity.
In an effort to prevent further boating-related fatalities and injuries in Aussie waters, authorities in several states have launched a campaign aimed at alerting the public to water safety. Speeding, improper licencing and drink driving are among the offences being targeted.
In New South Wales, jet skis have “soared in popularity” recently, according to NSW Maritime, a division of Transport for NSW (TfNSW). They said there are now some 90,000 owners — and while “jet skis are fun” they can “still be dangerous”.
A spokesperson told Yahoo News this week that personal watercraft (PWC) incidents are usually “caused by poor judgement, no proper lookout and excessive speed”. In the past 12 months, NSW has recorded 1700 jet ski infringements.
In Queensland, there are currently more than one million recreation boat licence holders (including personal watercraft/jet ski licences), police revealed this week. They announced they’ll be enforcing “the fatal five” starting from December 14, which include:
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Drink and drug taking
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Speeding
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Lifejacket and safety equipment compliance
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Keeping a proper lookout and distance off
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Trip Planning
A group of young men were seen ‘behaving badly’ in Queensland waters by locals this week. Source: Facebook
Locals hit out over ‘bad behaviour’ witnessed in Queensland river
In Noosa this week, one concerned resident slammed a couple of mates who were travelling in an “out of control tinny”. It appears two others in a separate boat had to be rescued from the water after “falling out”
“Their tinny was full throttle, unoccupied, spinning in circles with a full tank of fuel,” the woman said, sharing photos on Facebook. Others also noticed the young guys “behaving badly” and “racing each other”.
And it’s situations like this authorities across the country are trying to avoid.
Most common offences in Aussie waters
Speeding continues to be the most common offence on the water, despite it being especially dangerous in congested waterways during peak holiday seasons, Queenland Police said. Authorities will be targeting known problem areas across the state and will be “coming down hard” on those putting other waterway users in danger.
Meanwhile, drink and drug taking while operating a boat is also common, and is even more dangerous than a car — and can have the same fatal outcomes, authorities warn. Brisbane Water Police patrols will be particularly focussing on these offences during the school holidays.
Further south, Victorian authorities also warned about the dangers of jet skis. “Riding jet skis can be fun but cool your jets and make sure you’re doing it safely,” police said this week. They encouraged everyone to remember the rules around water safety, which include slower speeds and wearing “the correct lifejacket type at all times”.
A Sydney man recently vented over crowed and congested boat ramps as more boats and jet skis take to Aussie waters. Source: Facebook
Boom in jet ski sales across Australia
In 2022, jet ski sales hit a record high in the country after almost 10,000 were bought in the country, according to Watercraft Zone. Although there was a slump in sales last year, massive discounts from retailers and the already high number of jet skis owned and used by Aussies have contributed to congestion on boat ramps as the holidays near.
Last month, a Sydney man expressed his frustration over congested boat ramps. He fears the problem will only worsen throughout summer. “You have no chance of launching the boat with the amount of jet skis there at the moment,” he said
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