Canberra Jetskiers

This is a somewhat dated article, but interesting all the same.

Contributor: Lino28. Words originally appeared in "Modern Boating" March 2002

Sydney PWC riders have been told that following a Coalition victory in the 2003 State election, Premier Carr's decision to ban these watercraft from Sydney Harbour and its tributaries will be overturned.

Opposition Leader Kerry Chikarovski told a group of protesting PWC owners and retailers late last year that it was not fair to discriminate against people who had always enjoyed access to the waterways.

Now they face stiff fines if found on the harbour, Parramatta River, Lane Cove River and Middle Harbour.

source: http://www.terragalleria.com/images/pacific/aust2472.small.jpeg

The opposition leader said she was also concerned to hear from the Boating Industry Association that since the ban came into force in October 2001, sales of PWCs had dropped 75 per cent across the state. This represents a massive capital loss for the boating industry and will obviously initiate many job losses.

I, and almost every other person I have spoken to about this matter, cannot understand how the NSW Government can qualify this discriminatory stand on PWCs. Especially when you consider that during the first six months of 2001, only 29 complaints regarding PWCs had been lodged with the Waterways Authority. This was despite the fact that there are more than 35,000 licenced users in NSW.

But there are also other facets to this debate; the increases in PWC licence and registration fees - revenue the State Government says is going towards extra patrols and public education.

Sure the amount of Waterway's patrols has increased, but I certainly haven't noticed any public education programs coming into force, have you? If there were, it may have stopped some of the pure revenue raising being carried out by the NSW Government lately.

source: http://www.terragalleria.com/images/pacific/aust2476.small.jpeg

For example, I recently received a telephone call from an extremely irate father whose son had just been picked up by Waterway's officers for riding a PWC without a licence. It seems the family live on the banks of Sydney's Georges River. During the Christmas holidays the 16-year old son accepted an offer from a mate to have a ride on his PWC. A few minutes into his ride the Waterway's officers approached the boy for a routine licence check. The unlicensed boy was subsequently charged and fair enough.

But if this isn't revenue raising I'll eat my hat. Cop this! The boys fine for this misdemeanor was $800, but that's not all. The PWC owner was also fined $400, lost one point and was banned from getting any other form of boat licence for two years.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but according to the RTA website, the first-time fine for driving a motor vehicle without a licence is only $524. Something doesn't compute here. I would have thought being an unlicensed driver on the road was a lot more dangerous than taking a PWC for a spin.

While I don't condone the boy's action, I still can't understand the severity of the fines, unless they are being used as nothing more than a revenue-raising tool.

Tough fines like this will do nothing to stop others from riding without the proper PWC licence, simply because the penalties have been publicised anywhere - unlike the fines for traffic offences in NSW, which are now plastered on ugly billboards around the State.

So, apart from some government policies getting up and regurgitating a load of garbage about the ills of PWCs, when is this public PWC education program going to kick off? Or is the extra revenue simply going to disappear into the government's coffers and be given the name of consolidated revenue.

But the other states aren't immune either. There's now a call for the Gold Coast to follow Mr. Carr's lead banning PWCs from the Broadwater. The BIAQ is so concerned it is calling on its members to instill responsible PWC ownership on their customers.

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Descriminatory Tactics Aimed at Personal Watercraft

Friday 24th March 2000

A proposal being considered by Sydney coastal councils, which in effect would impose a blanket ban on personal watercraft operating on the waterways of Sydney Harbour, Botany Bay, Port Hacking and Pittwater, has been described as "blatant discrimination" by the Boating Industry Association of NSW.

The proposal stems from a Notice of Motion tabled by Hornsby Council, which calls on the State Government to ensure that Sydney Harbour and "associated waterways" are declared "no go zones" for all motorised personal watercraft.

Hornsby Council is seeking support for its motion from all Sydney councils and electorates, which take in Sydney's harbours, beaches and inland waterways. Warringah Council has come out in support of the motion while Randwick, Manly, Leichhardt, Hawkesbury and Waverley Councils have the matter under consideration.

Mr Roy Privett, general manager of the Boating Industry Association of NSW, said describing the move as discriminatory was not overstating the situation.

"Predictably, the Greens are behind the move, and whilst we agree with many of their causes, they are completely misinformed about this issue", Privett said. "They conveniently overlook the fact that the vast majority of personal watercraft operators enjoy their sport within the rules, while refusing to admit that these craft, lacking a propeller and proving highly manoeuvrable are in fact, safer than many other types of powered craft."

"Really, personal watercraft have been victims of a hostile press," he added.

Personal watercraft operators are already subjected to tougher regulations than other licensed powerboat operators. The state's estimated 25,000-plus personal watercraft users were subject to a new range of regulations, applying from January 1.

Personal watercraft are not permitted to conduct irregular-driving activities within 200-metres of the shoreline while operating in the Sydney basin. They may still operate in this zone when being operated in the same manner as any normal powered craft.

Regions outside the Sydney basin require these craft to avoid irregular driving within 200-metres of the shoreline, or, when one or more dwellings are closer than 200-metres to the shoreline.

The measures were introduced for safety reasons and to reduce the noise impact. Despite the image often promoted widely in the media that personal watercraft users are in the main, "young hoons", Privett pointed out that the average age of buyers is 41-years.

"There seems little doubt that there is a minority of operators using their craft in an irresponsible manner," he said.

"That being the case the industry offers its fullest support to the Waterways Authority and the NSW Water Police to hit these people and hit them hard."

"In short, let's banish them from our waterways and allow those doing the right thing to carry on unhindered".

On the often sensitive environmental factor, Privett pointed out that personal watercraft design and technology, together with the new State regulations made these craft the safest and most environmentally friendly on the water. They have no protruding propellers, minimal underwater disturbance, greatly reduced emissions and new water-filled exhaust systems, which greatly reduce sound levels.

"If councillors are serious about personal watercraft misbehaviour, fine, let's ensure the Waterways Authority and Water Police get very serious indeed and target those people who are the real offenders and cannot obey the rules."

"We must remove them from our waterways," he added.

For further information contact: Mr Roy Privett, Boating Industry Association of NSW, (02) 9438 2077 or 0414 382 077.