Jet ski drivers forced further offshore under planned Port Phillip Bay restrictions

Under the proposed Mornington Peninsula by-law restricting where and how jet skis can be used, riders will be forced 500 metres offshore before they can use the personalised watercraft. In NSW, riders must travel in a direct line at least 200 metres offshore before they can start to have fun.

The move is a bitter-sweet win for jet ski lobby groups, who were worried that personalised watercraft would be banned from the beaches entirely.

The Mornington Peninsula News said today the new restrictions would mean jet skis would have to travel in a very narrow corridor at restricted speeds to get to open water.

Mornington Shire mayor David Gill said council had reacted to community concerns about the increased presence of jet skis and the dangers they posed.

“Indeed, council and many other organisations have been inundated with complaints and concerns from the community – ranging from serious risks through to petrol cans on the beach and noise pollution,” Gill said.

Mornington Shire residents have railed against the use of jet skis on its beaches, with complaints about noise and amenity at one of the most popular places on Port Phillip Bay for launching the craft, especially around Rye and Safety Beach.

Meetings between councillors, Victoria Police, Maritime Safety Victoria and the Department of Land, Water, Environment and Planning were told the number of jet ski registrations in the state had jumped to 252,000 in the decade to June last year.
The new by-laws are expected to be introduced later this year.

The recently formed Victorian Jet Ski Club announced last week it would use its volunteers to kick off an education program in Melbourne for personal watercraft users, with the aim of modifying rider behaviour to “weed out the bad apples”.

Victoria Police has also targeted jet ski riders in the area in response to a rise in the number of complaints about jet ski behaviour.