Jet Skis: People Power is working!

Mornington Peninsula Council Decision 25 June 2019: Advocacy Paper to be sent to Maritime Safety Victoria, Parks Victoria and the Water Police

The advocacy paper calls on the State Government to address a number of issues raised by the community: The paper advocates for:

·  Changes in the Act for the separate regulation of powered PWC, to align road safety legislation with waterway legislation including hoon legislation (for example demerit points), and a change in licensing to mirror vehicle registration power to weight ratio requirements;

·  Modifications to Wildlife (Marine Mammals) Regulations 2009, that simplify the regulations, to ensure they can be easily enforced for the protection of marine wildlife;

·  Additional resources for Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP), Parks Victoria and the Water Police, to undertake increased surveillance, patrolling and enforcement of the Act, Wildlife Act 1998 and Marine Mammal Regulations 2009 during the peak summer period;

·  Maritime Safety Victoria to empower the Mornington Peninsula Shire (the Shire) to manage and enforce together with all other proper authorities the use of powered PWC and zones under the Act;

·  A targeted education and enforcement campaign for the safe operation of PWC along the southern end of the peninsula in association with jet ski clubs;

·  trial PWC only pathway zones (approximately 200 metres off beach) past the five-knot shared waterway zone, with the trial to be undertaken in Rye;

·  Implementation of trial PWC exclusion zones adjacent to Rye Foreshore, The Pillars and Safety Beach Foreshore;

·  Expansion of the Swimming Only Zones along the Mornington Peninsula for the safety of beach users and for PWCs to not be able to operate within 25 metres of a person on coastal waters;

·  A ban on persons under the age of 18 from being able to operate a PWC, even under supervision, the cancellation of all existing restricted licences issued to persons between the ages of 12 to 16 years and remove the supervised operation exemption, which allows an unlicensed person to operate a PWC under supervision;

·  Requirement that PWC users undertake a practical licence test (in addition to the existing knowledge test) and training standards for testers be improved;

·  The Marine Safety Regulations 2012 be strengthened in relation to on-beach fuelling, and restrict/limit the locations for on-beach refuelling; and The trial of a CCTV camera enforcement program.

Please keep sharing the petition as widely as possible - Marine Safety Victoria is being very slow to recognise and act on the problem. Feel free to email the Minister for Fishing and Boating to say we want action before next summer: jaala.pulford@parliament.vic.gov.au  or the Labor State mp: chris.brayne@parliament.vic.gov.au