Licensed for thrills

Marine authorities took a hard line with John Banks' joyriding. Now other jet-skiers can expect similar treatment, as ROBIN BAILEY reports.

The legislation has been in place since the start of the year. Now it is going to be enforced. Personal watercraft (jet-skis) must now be registered and identified to operate in waters under the control of the Auckland Regional Council. Northland and Waikato councils are also about to introduce similar bylaws.

Auckland Harbourmaster James McPetrie says the legislation was largely driven by public concern over the way in which some people used jet-skis. This led the select committee reviewing the proposed legislation to conclude that firmer controls were necessary.

It's a view not shared by the New Zealand Jet Sports Boating Association, which was formed to give personal watercraft users a voice. The association believes education is a better tool than legislation, a view it says is shared by the Maritime Safety Authority.

To emphasise its point the NZJSBA quotes the highly publicised case of Auckland Mayor John Banks being ticketed for operating his unregistered jet ski within 200m of the shore. Mayor Banks pleaded ignorance of the law and said he had not been advised of it when he bought his PWC.

This, says association secretary Linda Mellor, proves that more education is needed, not only of PWC users, but also at the retail level.

McPetrie agrees that more education is necessary, but says there is also a need for some legal muscle to ensure those users breaking the rules can be dealt with.

Senior-Sergeant Martin Paget, officer in charge of the Police Maritime Unit, says one of the positive spinoffs of identification is better behaviour on the water.

"Whether it is a PWC or any other craft, if it is readily identifiable, then the operator tends to be better behaved, which is a huge plus as far as safety is concerned. Lifting the standard of safety among PWC users will benefit all those who use the water for recreation."

McPetrie says although there was one fatality in the Auckland region this year, the standard of behaviour of PWC users continues to improve. Last summer only 13 per cent of all incidents attended by harbour patrols involved PWCs. This is a dramatic improvement on earlier years when PWC incidents accounted for 40 per cent of the total.

"Auckland," he says, "is doing very well regarding behaviour on personal water craft. This means we are unlikely to see a situation here that matches that of Sydney, where the use of PWCs has been totally banned on Sydney Harbour, with a consequent devastating effect on dealers as well as recreational users."

Coastguard Boating Education and the NZJSBA are in the process of putting together an educational course tailored for PWC users. The idea is to give newcomers to the sport the information they need to keep themselves alive and at the same time reduce the risks to other harbour users.

Some waters in the Auckland area are not suited to PWC use. These are the Panmure Lagoon off the Tamaki River, and Judges Bay beside Tamaki Drive. Other areas have been set aside for use by non-powered craft and swimmers. These are the western end of St Heliers beach, the centre area of Kohimarama and the area off Coyle Park at Pt Chevalier.

Registration is easy. Simply phone 09 356 5889 or go to the Personal Watercraft Registrations website The cost is $35 a year including GST, plus registration stickers at $12.50.

The three regions introducing registration will be using an attached database so registration is necessary in only one region. Members of the NZJSBA or the Auckland Jet Sport Association, who have already been issued with a club number, can retain that number.