EXCLUSIVE
Data compiled by Watercraft Zone – comparing Jet Ski and boating registrations and the number of licences holders, serious injuries and fatalities in Australia’s three most populous states – has revealed boaties, not Jet Ski riders, are at greater risk of fatalities on the water.
And in NSW, boat users are also more at risk of serious injury than Jet Ski riders, according to official government data sourced from authorities by Watercraft Zone.
The revelation comes as the NSW Government is proposing massive increases in Jet Ski registration and licence fees – by up to 88 per cent from 1 July 2024 – after falsely claiming the hikes are due to Jet Ski riders being “over-represented” in deaths and serious injuries.
The official data debunks this myth and reveals boaties are in fact more at risk of death and serious injury on the water than Jet Ski riders in NSW.
The NSW Government has since agreed to receive formal feedback from the Boating Industry Association – which represents all three Jet Ski manufacturers Sea-Doo, Yamaha and Kawasaki – after a meeting on Tuesday of this week.
It remains to be seen whether the NSW Government will revise its proposed price rises and bring Jet Ski licence and registration fee increases in line with other boating sectors.
The NSW Government is pushing for higher licence and registration fees even though it has received a multimillion dollar windfall thanks to the massive increase in Jet Ski users in the state over the past six years.
Figures provided by registration and licence authorities in the three eastern states show the number of Jet Ski licence holders in NSW has increased by 45 per cent since 2018, versus Queensland (up 29 per cent) and Victoria (up 8.5 per cent) over the same period.
However, Queensland – with a warmer climate all year round – still has the highest number of Jet Skis registered compared to any other state: 35,800 in Queensland versus 27,600 in Victoria and 20,500 in NSW.
When it comes to Jet Ski fatalities, there have been three deaths each in Queensland and NSW – and none in Victoria – over the past five years, according to data provided by authorities in each of those states.
Over the same period, there have been 87 boating fatalities (excluding Jet Skis) in NSW, versus 61 in Queensland, and 41 in Victoria.
The number of boating fatalities in NSW is especially concerning given that Queensland has more than 1 million boat licence holders, and NSW only has 460,000 boat licence holders.
The boat fatality statistics for NSW are another splash in the face for Jet Ski riders who have been demonised by politicians and mainstream media – even though the data shows it is boaties who are involved in more tragic incidents on the water than Jet Ski riders.
As for fatality rates among Jet Ski licence holders versus boat licence holders, data sourced by Watercraft Zone for the past five years shows:
- NSW had the equivalent to 3 fatalities for every 100,000 Jet Ski licence holders
- Queensland had the equivalent of 1.5 fatalities for every 100,000 Jet Ski licence holders
- Victoria had zero fatalities involving Jet Ski riders over the same period
This compares to:
- NSW had the equivalent of 15 fatalities for every 100,000 boat licence holders
- Victoria had the equivalent of 9 fatalities for every 100,000 boat licence holders
- Queensland had the equivalent of 6 fatalities for every 100,000 boat licence holders
As for serious injury rates among Jet Ski licence holders versus boat licence holders, data sourced by Watercraft Zone for the past five years shows:
- NSW had the equivalent of 26 serious injuries for every 100,000 Jet Ski licence holders
- Victoria had the equivalent of 26 serious injuries for every 100,000 Jet Ski licence holders
- Queensland had the equivalent of 19 serious injuries for every 100,000 Jet Ski licence holders
This compares to:
- NSW had the equivalent of 52 serious injuries for every 100,000 boat licence holders
- Victoria had the equivalent of 15 serious injuries for every 100,000 boat licence holders
- Queensland had the equivalent of 14 serious injuries for every 100,000 boat licence holders
Below is the raw data compiled by Watercraft Zone, supplied by registration and waterway authorities in Queensland, NSW and Victoria.
Queensland Jet Ski registrations
- 2023: 35,857 (up 36 per cent)
- 2018: 26,354
NSW Jet Ski registrations
- 2023: 20,500 (up 44 per cent)
- 2018: 14,300
Victoria Jet Ski registrations
- 2023: 27,637 (up 23 per cent)
- 2018: 22,553
—
Queensland Boat registrations (excluding Jet Skis)
- 2023: 239,384 (up 2.5 per cent)
- 2018: 233,478
NSW Boat registrations (excluding Jet Skis)
- 2023: 218,000 (down 2.7 per cent)
- 2018: 224,000
Victoria Boat registrations (excluding Jet Skis)
- 2023: 173,007 (up 1 per cent)
- 2018: 171,215
—
Queensland Jet Ski licence holders
- 2023: 260,588 (up 29 per cent)
- 2018: 184,336
NSW Jet Ski licence holders
- 2023: 90,000 (up 45 per cent)
- 2018: 62,000
Victoria Jet Ski licence holders
- 2023: 76,220 (up 8.5 per cent)
- 2018: 70,266
—
Queensland boat licence holders
- 2023: 1,010,281 (up 13 per cent)
- 2018: 890,536
NSW Boat licence holders
- 2023: 460,000 (up 0.7 per cent)
- 2018: 457,000
Victoria Boat licence holders
- 2023: 448,427 (up 8.5 per cent)
- 2018: 412,408
—
Queensland Jet Ski fatalities
- Total over five years: 3
- Equivalent to 1.5 fatalities for every 100,000 Jet Ski licence holders
NSW Jet Ski fatalities
- Total over five years: 3
- Equivalent to 3 fatalities for every 100,000 Jet Ski licence holders
Victoria Jet Ski fatalities
- Total over five years: 0
—
Queensland boating fatalities (excluding Jet Skis)
- Total over five years: 61
- Equivalent to 6 fatalities for every 100,000 boat licence holders
NSW Boating fatalities (excluding Jet Skis)
- Total over five years: 87
- Equivalent to 15 fatalities for every 100,000 boat licence holders
Victoria Boating fatalities (excluding Jet Skis)
- Total over five years: 41
- Equivalent to 9 fatalities for every 100,000 boat licence holders
—
Queensland Jet Ski serious injuries
- Total over five years: 49
- Equivalent to 19 serious injuries for every 100,000 Jet Ski licence holders
NSW Jet Ski serious injuries
- Total over five years: 23
- Equivalent to 26 serious injuries for every 100,000 Jet Ski licence holders
Victoria Jet Ski serious injuries
- Total over five years: 20
- Equivalent to 26 serious injuries for every 100,000 Jet Ski licence holders
—
Queensland Boating serious injuries (excluding Jet Skis)
- Total over five years: 138
- Equivalent to 14 serious injuries for every 100,000 Jet Ski licence holders
NSW Boating serious injuries (excluding Jet Skis)
- Total over five years: 242
- Equivalent to 52 serious injuries for every 100,000 boat licence holders
Victoria Boating serious injuries (excluding Jet Skis)
- Total over five years: 66
- Equivalent to 15 serious injuries for every 100,000 boat licence holders
Footnotes:
Authorities in Queensland provided licence and registration data from 2018 to 2023, and fatality and injury data from 2018 to 2022, the most recent records available.
Authorities in Victoria did not break down data for each year from 2018 to 2023, but supplied data for the beginning and the end of that period.
NSW Maritime licence and registration data was based on calendar years. NSW fatality and serious injury data was based on financial years “to provide a comprehensive overview of waterway incidents, particularly during peak seasons such as summer between December and February.”
MORE: Breakthrough! NSW Jet Ski fee increases to be reviewed
MORE: Open letter to NSW Maritime pleading for a review of Jet Ski licence fees
MORE: Jet Ski death and injury stats at odds with logic behind licence fee increases
MORE: How NSW Jet Ski licence fees compare to other states
MORE: All our Sea-Doo coverage in one click
MORE: All our Yamaha WaveRunner coverage in one click
MORE: All our Kawasaki Jet Ski coverage in one click
MORE: All our news coverage in one click
MORE: Follow us on Facebook
MORE: Follow us on YouTube