Jet ski activity in Roys Bay and near the shoreline of Lake Hāwea sparked a submission to the Wānaka Community Board (WCB) at its most recent public forum.

Wānaka resident Blair Lublow asked the board to review rules governing water craft activity in areas where people swim, kayak, walk, and take picnics, saying that while jet skis are fun they are also noisy and irritating.

“Jet skis are really fun, but when a person is on a jet ski the fun isn’t distributed evenly,” Blair told the Wānaka App.

“One person having fun means potentially hundreds of other people having their ability to have fun impeded.”

Local rules of the water state that motor craft must not exceed five knots within 200 metres of the lakes shoreline, a rule Blair described as ‘inadequate’, saying there is very low compliance.

“It seems fairly simple to make a change which would have a minor but potentially positive impact on people's lives,” Blair said.

“The practical outcome would be people not riding quickly within Roys Bay or within a few hundred metres of Hāwea [foreshore] which is currently not the case.

“That would take care of 95 percent of the problem without any aggressive enforcement.”

Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) media and channels advisor Sam White said the rules governing lake activity are covered in the Navigation Safety Bylaw 2018 and any new rules would require a change to this bylaw. 

“There will be an opportunity to consider these suggestions when the bylaw goes out for community consultation as part of the next review process, but there is currently no date set for this,” Sam said.

“Regarding compliance with the five knot speed limit, this is an ongoing public safety matter and an important focus for our waterways officers in terms of education and enforcement.”

The QLDC boating guide for Lakes Wānaka And Hāwea can be found here.

PHOTO: Wānaka App