“Both GDC and Eastland Port don’t appear to be taking this seriously, yet they are the ones who are responsible for the navigation and safety bylaws. GDC now tell me that only the police have the power to enforce these bylaws and issue infringement notices.
“We are not saying that kids shouldn’t have fun swimming — it’s just that this is not an appropriate place to do so. If it’s good enough for the council to provide cycleways and pedestrian boardwalks, why can’t they provide something suitable for the kids to jump and swim from in the river where there is less waterway traffic?”
Close callFellow boatie Pete Claffey said he had experienced the problem first-hand, with a close call just before Christmas, and was worried about what could happen in the future.
“We come in and kids are there, and just as you get in to the jetty, they jump off and do bombs behind the boat as soon as you get there. Kids, being kids, think it’s a great laugh but they don’t realise we then have to back out and they are sitting right underneath where your propeller is. It’s not just a couple of us — it’s a lot of us having that problem.
“The thing they don’t understand, is it’s not just like putting the brakes on in a car and stopping on the spot — the boat keeps going.
Mr Claffey said there appeared to be no consensus between the council and police as to who was responsible for enforcing the bylaw.
“Whoever is ultimately responsible for it needs to start taking a bit of a stand on it.”
A perennial problemThe inner harbour is an operational area of Eastland Port, and Eastland Group communications manager Kathy McVey said children swimming in the harbour was an annual issue, one that always coincided with summer weather and school holidays.
“Our staff have been working alongside police to ask children seen jumping, swimming and fishing in the harbour to leave the area for their own safety.
“We ask children (and adults) to swim safely in the rivers rather than risk injury in the inner harbour area. We ask anyone fishing to move over to the other side, away from any vessels.
Ms McVey said the area was well signposted with ‘No swimming/No fishing’ signs.
“There are also fences and locked gates securing the area.
“In addition to the ships and tug boats coming in and out of Eastland Port, the harbour is very busy at this time of year with fishing boats, both commercial and recreational. It is simply not safe for people to be in and out of the water, however hot the day is and however attractive the water looks.
“Gisborne District Council is also considering this issue as part of a redevelopment plan for the inner harbour area”.
