There are fresh calls for Jet Ski riders to cool their jets over the summer holidays as a second local council is considering a ban in another Sydney hot spot.
Less than a month after Central Coast Council introduced a ban on Jet Skis and boats along a 300-metre stretch of Ettalong Beach, there are new calls for a crackdown on Jet Skis at a popular destination in Sydney’s south.
The Deputy Mayor of Bayside Council – which covers the beaches near Brighton Le Sands – is calling on NSW Police, NSW Maritime and the NSW Government to conduct a review into the misuse of Jet Skis in the area,
In a post on social media today Deputy Mayor, Heidi Lee Douglas, asked for community feedback on a proposal to introduce a Jet Ski exclusion zone along parts of Lady Robinson’s Beach and Brighton Le Sands following close calls between swimmers and Jet Skis in shallow waters.
Community members can have their say on the proposed Jet Ski ban via this link.
“People deserve to be safe so they can have fun on our beaches this summer. And unfortunately irresponsible and dangerous behaviour by a few can ruin the beach experience for many,” Heidi Lee Douglas wrote on the Bayside Community page on Facebook.
“That’s why this summer I’ve written to Rockdale MP Minister Steve Kamper, our state Minister for the Police and our state Minister for the Environment, asking them to form a Jet Ski hooning task force for Botany Bay specifically focusing on:
- Safety for swimmers
- Protection for endangered animals and marine habitat
“This could mean areas of Lady Robinson’s Beach are designated Jet Ski-free zones.
“Creating a Jet Ski-free safe zone on a popular beach has just occurred on the Central Coast, after years of enduring similar dangers there from dangerous Jet Ski (riders).”
The Facebook post attracted support from local community members – some of whom want a complete Jet Ski ban in the area.
Jet Ski community leaders also called on fellow riders to stay safe – or risk the rollout of more banned zones.
Some Jet Ski riders called on authorities to “crush their ski and ban them for life” for dangerous riding offences “but leave the rest of us alone”.
“Deal with the individual offenders. Throw the book at them,” one Jet Ski rider wrote on Facebook. “(But) non offenders don’t deserve this.”
Meanwhile, the NSW Police Marine Area Command has renewed its calls for Jet Ski riders to ride safely and responsibly this summer, or risk huge fines and possible confiscation of their watercraft.
“NSW Police Marine Area Command is working closely with NSW Maritime to ensure that we’ve got as much coverage as we possibly can have over the summer holiday period,” Senior Sergeant Russell Agland (pictured above and below), from the NSW Police Marine Area Command, told Watercraft Zone during a recent safety blitz in Botany Bay.
“We know the registration data shows there has been a massive increase in the number of Jet Skis registered in NSW in recent years, but we can also see it on the water.
“In the 10 years I’ve been on this waterway I’ve seen an exponential increase in Jet Ski numbers. It’s not uncommon on a hot day to see more than 100 Jet Skis pulled up on Lady Robinson’s Beach (Brighton Le Sands).”
The police officer acknowledged a minority of rogue Jet Ski riders are damaging the reputation of the sport for the majority of riders who are law-abiding, but he still called on all riders to stay safe.
“We know it’s only a small proportion of Jet Ski users that seem to be letting the sport down for everyone, but we encourage everyone to do the right thing and look out for each other,” Senior Sergeant Agland told Watercraft Zone.
The police officer said it is the responsibility of every boatie and every Jet Ski rider to know the rules – and know the speed limits in the areas they are navigating – and reminded riders that most boat ramps are located in 4 knot zones, so riders should take it easy as they approach and leave the ramp.
“The best advice I can give is to please familiarise yourself with the rules, learn your distances off (other vessels and swimmers), what constitutes irregular riding, and where you can and can’t do it,” he said.
“Orientate your mind to riding Jet Skis courteously and safely. One of the important rules of boating is that it is the responsibility of boat skippers and Jet Ski riders to keep a proper look out at all times.
“We want to work with the public to make sure they stay safe and they have a good time when they come out on the water.”
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