A recent safety blitz on South Coast waterways has highlighted a stark contrast in jet ski compliance, with Lake Illawarra recording checks but the Shoalhaven area emerging as a hotspot for offences.
Operation Cool Your Jets: Statewide Focus on Safety
The New South Wales Maritime Authority conducted its statewide 'Operation Cool Your Jets' over the weekend, targeting licence compliance, speeding, registration, and life-jacket offences for both boats and personal watercraft.
Across the Illawarra and Shoalhaven regions, officers performed a total of 6,504 vessel safety checks. Of these, 1,066 were focused specifically on jet skis. The operation resulted in 138 penalties and 769 official cautions being issued across the state.
Lake Illawarra Checks vs. Shoalhaven Offences
On Lake Illawarra, authorities carried out 13 vessel safety checks, with six of those involving jet skis. Notably, no official cautions or penalty notices were issued during these stops on the lake.
This stood in sharp contrast to popular boating sites around Nowra, Jervis Bay, St Georges Basin, and Sussex Inlet in the Shoalhaven. These locations were identified as some of the highest for jet ski offences in southern NSW.
Statewide, patrols concentrated on busy locations including Botany Bay, Lake Macquarie, Port Stephens, Jervis Bay, and the Murray River. NSW Maritime officers issued 74 penalty notices and 214 official warnings, with over a third of these official actions linked to jet ski incidents.
Top Offences and Growing Popularity
The most common offences during the crackdown related to life-jackets (27 per cent), safety equipment (16 per cent), and speeding (12 per cent).
The top ten locations for offences were: Lake Macquarie (41), Georges River (40), Port Hacking (25), Botany Bay (23), Brisbane Waters (17), Sussex Inlet and St Georges Basin (16), Jervis Bay (15), Mulwala (11), Port Stephens (10), and Albury (10).
Jet ski popularity continues to surge across NSW. There are now more than 92,000 licensed riders in the state, marking a 23 per cent increase over the past five years.
NSW Maritime Principal Manager and Operation Coordinator Sonia McKay revealed there had been 11 incidents involving jet skis in the past 12 months, including one fatality.
"These machines are powerful and fast. We want people to enjoy our amazing waterways, but that means respecting the rules and looking out for others," Ms McKay stated.
"Our officers are out 365 days a year and repeat offenders will face tougher consequences because reckless riding puts lives at risk."
NSW Police Marine Area Command Acting Superintendent David Carlin emphasised that while most riders follow the rules, a minority cause significant problems.
"Riding a jet ski close to swimmers or other vessels is very dangerous and we encourage the community to report any menacing behaviour," he said.
In a bid to improve safety, NSW Maritime is trialling powered watercraft restriction zones at Port Stephens this summer. Additionally, CCTV cameras have been installed at strategic locations across NSW waterways to enable live monitoring and allow for the rapid deployment of Boating Safety Officers if risky behaviour is detected.
Key rules for jet ski riders to remember:
- Jet skis must stay at least 30 metres from other vessels, objects, or the shore when travelling at 6 knots (11km/h) or more.
- Where possible, keep at least 60 metres from people or dive flags.
- Riders and passengers must always wear a lifejacket.
- Licences and registrations must be up to date.
Riders are urged to check the mandatory rules sticker on their jet ski and consult the online handbook for full details.
