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3:01PM Tuesday 02 December, 2008

Noosa jet ski speed concerns rejected

30 September 2008

| By Grant Reynolds

Commercial operators have rejected claims increased speed limits in certain areas of the Noosa River will lead to greater safety risk and river damage.

Geoff Phillips from Noosa Jet Ski Hire said his jet skis were speed restricted and speed would remain strictly controlled.

“The speed of the commercial hire jet skis is not going to increase from what we’ve been doing for the past 20 years,” he said.

Some Noosa River users say the Coast’s only A-rated waterway is overcrowded and one keen sailor, who didn’t want to be named, put forward the bold suggestion of reducing the number of power boats on the river if council wanted to be truly innovative.

He said the Noosa River was protected by “no discharge” rules, but two-stroke motors were highly pollutant.

“It’s zero discharge but you can run up and down burning fuel all day,” he said.

Maritime Safety Queensland last week put in place exclusion zones for jet ski hire operators with Noosa River speed limits increased to 40 knots on some stretches.

The Noosa River Plan, endorsed by state cabinet in November 2004, had flagged a speed limit of 20 knots after consultation with the community and stakeholders, including commercial operators.

Maritime Safety Queensland vessel activity report nominates Noosa River as the busiest river for boat traffic in South-east Queensland.

Brad Gray from O Boat Hire has been working on the river for 20 years, and said congestion existed in earlier years, but not quite as bad as it is now.

Mr Gray showed a 1960s photograph of the river, and he said it showed the river had a similar amount of traffic now.

Member for Noosa Glen Elmes questioned the need for MSQ to increase the speed limit and has written to the minister for transport, John Mickel.

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