12:00a.m. 19 September 2007

| By Amy Remeikis

AFTER a sharp increase in the number of jet skis in Queensland waters, the government asked for a review of the regulations surrounding the use of personal water craft.

There are 804 jet skis registered on the Coast, including 259 in Caloundra, 405 in the Maroochy shire and 140 in Noosa.

In January last year, new laws came into practice which meant all jet ski operators had to hold both a marine driver licence and a personal watercraft licence.

It was also made law that an observer must be on board the jet ski when it was towing a skier, to warn of potential danger or alert the driver to the skier’s signals.

Speed limits were also changed. The craft can not travel greater than six knots if it is within 60m of people, anchored or moored boats, and structures such as jetties, pontoons or boat ramps and within 60m of the shore.

After the deaths of four people in a tragic boating collision on Moreton Bay earlier this month, the State Government announced it was looking into improving recreational boating safety.

Safety initiatives for jet skis is one of the topics being looked at as part of the discussion paper and Marine Safety Queensland is inviting suggestions and comments on what could be done betterand what some of the problems are.

To make a comment, visit www.msq.qld.gov.au and follow the links to the discussion paper or call 3120 7345.

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