Boat code will be public

Press, 23 September 1981, Page 6

Boat code will be public

By Les Bloxham The detailed code of pratice prepared by commercial boat operators in the Queenstown area will be made public after it has been studied by the Minister of Transport (Mr McLachlan) and officers of the Marine Department. In the meantime no-one is revealing the contents of the report which was drawn up after the fatal jet boat collision on the Kawarau River in July. Basically, however, the report is believed to be divided into four sections designed as guidelines for drivers of

boats on the Kawarau and Shotover Rivers. It also includes recommendations for a driver-training programme a suggested list of compulsory equipment to be carried on all boats under 16ft in length, and a checklist of pre-trip procedures. Boat operators are also believed to be keen to establish their own radio channel instead of the one which they share with some 90 other users at present. A 100 per cent turn-out of operators enabled a pooling of knowledge in the final ■ preparation of the report. Mr McLachlan announced

on Monday that there would be no public inquiry, into the tragedy. He said he , was satisfied that the. accident was in no way caused by, or contributed to, by any lack of rules or regulations. The police at the time revealed that the boat driven by Mr Colin Robinson, w'ho was killed in the accident, was believed to have been travelling downstream on the incorrect side of the river. It was struck as it attempted to swing across to the right-hand side (the correct side for boats) on' a blind bend.