NSW Maritime crackdown on jet skis at Port Stephens

Transcript

00:00There's jet skis out there, you know, they might be running amok doing donuts and things.

00:09There's areas where they're allowed to do that sort of stuff.

00:12So we're there to make sure they actually know where they can and can't do those things.

00:15You know, quite often and what we've seen so far this summer, majority of jet ski riders

00:20are doing the right thing.

00:21I don't know whether it's been something that's been brought to council formally in the past.

00:25I've certainly heard it.

00:26I live here.

00:27So I've heard it over the years.

00:28But as the new mayor of Port Stephens, my thoughts are, look, enough is enough.

00:32We need to listen to our community.

00:34I'm listening to our community.

00:35I'm bringing this as an urgent motion to the first council meeting of the year, because

00:39I think we need to make sure that we're doing something about it.

00:42I think it is a very minority that will break the law or push the boundaries.

00:49Yeah, people are really concerned.

00:52Here in Port Stephens, we want people to come and have fun.

00:56We want them to feel safe and be safe.

00:58So we need people who are on jet skis and using our waterways to follow the rules.

01:02If they aren't following the rules and people are still feeling unsafe, then we've got to

01:07take action.

01:08And this is what this weekend is all about.

01:11If the rules aren't enough right now to make people feel safe and be safe, we want to have

01:18a conversation with community and with council about what those rule changes might look like

01:24to make that happen.