Disqualified from holding a boat licence

Skippers are reminded of their responsibilities after a recent decision in Albury Local Court which saw a 27-year-old woman disqualified from holding or obtaining a NSW boat licence for six months, fined $500 and put on an 18-month good-behaviour bond.

Director of Maritime Angus Mitchell said the woman had been operating a personal watercraft when it collided with a ski boat on Lake Mulwala late last year.

"She pleaded guilty to negligent navigation occasioning grievous bodily harm," Mr Mitchell said.

"The victim was a rear seat passenger in the ski boat and suffered a fractured skull, broken neck and crushed artery at the base of her skull.

"Thankfully the victim has almost fully recovered but the incident certainly highlights the need to act responsibly and safely when operating any craft on the water, or you run the risk of not only injuring someone but being penalised heavily in court," Mr Mitchell said

Mr Mitchell said now it’s spring and with the weather warming up after winter, more people will be taking to the state’s waterways.

"It’s that time of year when people hook up the boat trailer and head down to the nearest ramp to enjoy the best of our wonderful waterways," Mr Mitchell said.

"But boaters are reminded of their responsibility to personal safety and the safety of other water users.

"Every skipper is responsible for the safe operation of their vessel and the safety of all on board.

"We want people to enjoy our waterways and we want them to do it safely."

Mr Mitchell said following on from the NSW conviction and disqualification, Transport Safety Victoria is seeking to have the PWC operator’s Victorian boat licence also cancelled for six months.

At the time of the accident, local Roads and Maritime Officer Jay Ruming reportedly said told the local press that 95 per cent of people using the local Lake Mulwala waterways in NSW are Victorian licensed so a lot of the time is spent making sure that people know the differences in NSW legislation so they can operate safely.

"The main message is usually urging them to be aware of their surroundings, take careful notice of the required safe distances between water users and be aware of local conditions," he told the Yarrawonga Chronicle, adding that a large part of summer water traffic was attributed to jet skis.

"There are a lot of personal water craft on the water and they are incredibly powerful – reaching considerable speeds in just a few seconds," he said.

"Our aim is to reinforce the need to be particularly careful on PWC’s, particularly when it comes to operating them safely around others.

"They can be a lot of fun but operators, particularly if they are younger, need to take it easy and be aware of what is happening around them.

"Everyone needs to take care and look out for each other," he said.

For information on boating safety visit NSW Roads and Maritime Services website.