Christmas brings cheer but not for anyone breaking boating laws this summer.
The Nelson Harbourmaster Dave Duncan has announced that from Christmas Day, people flouting the rules in Nelson City Council’s Navigation Safety Bylaw could face infringement fines of up to $1000.
“We’re about education rather than infringements, and we’re seeing a lot of intelligence out there. It’s the repeat offenders and people behaving dangerously on the water who could be fined,” says Dave.
“It’s simple really. People owning a boat need to know what the rules are.”
Incentives offered by the harbourmaster’s team for boat owners who display good water safety, boat safety and skipper responsibility, include discount fuel vouchers from Nelson Petroleum Distributors.
Random safety equipment checks of boaties at the ramp or on the water will be carried out by the harbourmaster’s team. Those with the right gear will receive a voucher. The safety equipment checklist is found via the Maritime NZ website and includes life jackets, an anchor, knife, spare fuel, weather check, trip report, spare rope, a spare bung, two forms of water-proof communications, a first aid kit and a bailer.
People on kayaks, waka or paddleboards with appropriate Personal Floatation Devices (PFDs) could also be in to win a Raglan Roasters coffee voucher, donated by Kite Surf Nelson.
Dave says, “We want people to be safe on our waters. Remember the skipper is responsible, so be a responsible skipper. If in doubt, don’t go out.”
For more information on the laws and possible fines, search ‘navigation safety bylaw’ on the Council website, nelson.govt.nz.
