Too close for safety

Power boats and swimmers don't mix. Rowena Orejana meets a watchful Eastern Beach local who says it's only a matter of time ...
The sun has reached its zenith in the blue sky. The wind blows softly, warmed by the noon sun. A few people are stretched out on the sands of Eastern Beach. Others have dipped in the cool waters.
A van parks across from the house of Sandra McGill on The Esplanade. Children tumble out of it and quickly make a beeline to the water - a last hurrah to their school break.
"The swimmers are supposed to be on the right of the sign," Mrs McGill observes from her bay windows. "But there is not much beach for the number of people that come to this park. And so those boys floating out there, that's the access lane."
The lane she's talking about is designated for jetskis and water skiers.
There are signs along the beach to separate swimmers from the ski area; the problem is, no one takes much notice of them.
Swimmers use the ski lane between the ramp and Macleans Park because it is the best spot for swimming. Jet and water skiers, on the other hand, encroach on the areas designated for swimming north of the boat ramp.
"You rarely see a jetskier observing the rules. They are not supposed to exceed five knots unless they are in the access lane or 200m out from the beach," says Mrs McGill, who has raised this issue with the council several times.
"Also, council parks staff make several trips a day, seven days a week, to this area. They should have known about the problem without our having to tell them."
Mrs McGill has a thick wad of pictures of jetskiers speeding parallel to the section of beach where people swim. "I would call that close calls," she says.
She and her group, Eastern Beach Action Network, have submitted proposals for dealing with the problem to Manukau City Council.
The network had hoped the suggestions would be included in the Long Term Council Community Plan.
However, all that has come back from the council are vague promises of "further investigations".
This summer, Mrs McGill again raised the issue with the council, Auckland Harbourmaster and the Coast Guard.
"Because this [council's] response does not demonstrate any commitment to actually doing anything, I am writing to the three of you in the hope that your joint interest will bring some urgency to resolving this problem," Mrs McGill wrote.
The proposal suggests transferring the jet and water ski activities to the northern end of the beach. The council could build a new boat ramp there for this purpose. The current access lane could then be designated a swimming area.
Manukau City Council parks manager, Biran Singh, clarifies the council has no authority to enforce rules out on the water. "The problem with the jet skiers coming close to swimmers at Eastern Beach comes under control of the Auckland Harbourmaster who works for the Auckland Regional Council," says Mr Singh.
He's trying to arrange a meeting soon with all parties to discuss the matter. Auckland Harbourmaster John Lee-Richards had already agreed to the meeting.
Mrs McGill says this can't happen soon enough. "We don't want them to wait until there is a serious accident. I think  a serious accident is inevitable in the existing situation."
The boys continue to bob in the water as Mrs McGill gazes out her window. It's hard to suppress a shudder at the thought of the injuries a jetski might cause if it turned up at that moment.