‘Rising menace’ of small boats

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33093, 7 December 1972, Page 21

‘Rising menace’ of small boats

The Lyttelton Harbour Board will continue to press strongly for the registration of small craft: and one of its members, Mr R. M. Macfarlane said at the meeting yesterday that it seemed that a death would be the only thing that would get action.

Speeding craft were a menace, and a growing one, the board was told, and proper control could only be obtained by registration which would give positive identification. Two offenders recently refused to give any information to wardens. Mr J. E. Mannering, chairman of the small craft com-

imittee, welcomed the offer lof three launch-owners to j become wardens to report and act as witnesses against I offenders. They brought the I number of volunteer wardens to 18, he said, but registraItion was necessary if there | was to be complete control. Penalty increased The board agreed to amend its by-laws to increase the maximum penalty for offences from $4O to $lOO. It also agreed to approach the Minister of Transport through the Harbours Association and by letter, urging registration. The Lyttelton Borough Council wrote to the board, saying that the irresponsible use of speedboats in beach areas was a continuing problem, and the council wanted more positive action, especially in Corsair Bay and other popular bathing beaches. “The council appreciates that the board has set aside areas for the use of speed boats and water-skiers, but a few irresponsible owners still continue to ignore the request for more adequate control of boats in harbour areas,” the letter said. Rapaki residents were concerned about power boats travelling at speed and waterskiers too close to the shore, Mr Mannering’s committee said. Governments at fault “This is a problem that has been on our plates for 15 years at least,” Mr R. G. Gerard said. “It seems that we are getting nowhere.” He recalled that when he was Minister of Marine he had told the department he was in favour of registration of small craft and to draft regulations, but this had not been done. At the time the department did not favour registration — “perhaps because it thought that it was too hard to police” — but on a recent deputation to the Minister (Mr Gordon) it had been found that the departmental view had changed. Both Governments had been at fault in the past in not making registration compulsory, Mr Gerard said. The time was appropriate for yet another approach.