Lifejacket changes discussed
Children under 10-years-old could be made to wear a lifejacket on all vessels at all times if a proposed amendment to a council bylaw is approved.
At a Queenstown Lakes District Council meeting on Thursday, councillors elected to put the proposal out for public consultation.
Queenstown Lakes District harbourmaster Marty Black said it was a ‘‘bloody good idea’’ and encouraged the community to support the change.
‘‘It needs to happen. End story,’’ Black said.
The wearing of lifejackets by of children ‘‘had got a lot better’’ recently, but Black felt making it law was important.
Commercial vessels such as the popular TSS Earnslaw, would be exempt.
Council regulatory manager Lee Webster said the Earnslaw, and other vessels like it, fell under Maritime Operator Safety System rules so under 10s would not be required to wear a life jacket.
‘‘They just need to make sure they have got life jackets on board,’’ Webster said.
All other vessels travelling in Lakes District waterways including Lake Wakatipu and Lake Wanaka, would require children under 10-years-old to wear a life jacket.
Presently, the bylaw requires all people on a boat under six metres long to wear a life jacket and, on larger boats, if told to by the person in charge.
The public would also be consulted on proposed changes to launch permits.
Private boat owners would have the opportunity to purchase an annual, six month, three month or casual (24-hour) permit rather than just an annual or casual one.
Pricing would stay at $5 and $50 for casual and annual permits while the new ones were proposed to be $25 and $35 for three and six month permits respectively.
The commercial vessel fee would be combined with the licence fee in another proposed amendment.
Webster hoped all proposed changes to the bylaw would be in place by November.