RYE

JETSKIS & POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC CONSEQUENCES

MEETING SCHEDULED

REPLY FROM STATE GOVT TO NEPEAN VOTERS 12-12-2024

Hi Susan,

Thank you for reaching out and for your insights. I appreciate the time and effort you’ve put into outlining the community’s concerns regarding jet ski use in the Nepean area.

While some of the issues raised fall outside our scope as a safety regulator, we’d be happy to discuss this matter further. I’d like to arrange a meeting with Safe Transport Victoria representatives to explore this in more detail and identify how we can work together. I will call you to see what dates/times work best.

As you may be aware, Safe Transport Victoria continues to work with other agencies such as Victoria Police, Parks Victoria, and the Victorian Fisheries Authority to promote safe and responsible behaviour on our waterways.

Across the 2024-25 summer, we will be re-launching our Cool Your Jets behavioural awareness program to encourage safer jet ski practices, supported by ongoing compliance operations and targeted enforcement during peak times.

We also remain committed to engaging with key stakeholders and user groups to better understand local concerns and inform our regulatory approach, with the goal of supporting safe and equitable use of our waterways for all user groups.

We look forward to working with you.

 

EMAIL FROM NEPEAN VOTERS TO STATE GOVT 29-11-2024

For many years the loud push from the community has always been to ban JetSkis altogether, but now we are gaining traction and people are willing to consider compromise – this is a huge step forward.  I have spoken with a couple of people with businesses who work on JetSkis and their information has been surprising.  Most solutions provided below are easily implementable and any outlay could be funded with revenue from fines etc .  I would also suggest that the registration fees are more in line with NSW which are considerably higher than here.  To aid in compliance, a topic of discussion could be identifying JetSkis by a registration number to ensure no confusion between craft.
 
Issues:
Personal Danger
  • Dangerous practices with more near misses of swimmers each year – one case is currently going through the courts
  • Launching Jetskis wherever the rider deems convenient, dangerous for beach goers and swimmers
  • Dangerous landing of JetSkis onto the beach where people are sitting
  • Marine wildlife is being targeted as evidenced on videos I have cited, where a dolphin and her calf were separated and chased down
  • Collisions have occurred and boats have been targeted by JetSkis to splash and scare them
Noise pollution, the problem that affects everyone
  • According to the experts, JetSkis are being modified so that they make more noise, according to experts factory settings they are not that noisy
  • Noise levels should be monitored and set as they are with cars.  I remember they had to consider noise when the Sorrento Ferry wanted to extend hours.
 
Possible Solutions.  

As most issues can be covered with existing laws, it comes down to compliance, if huge fines are applied it would be the best deterrent available and the revenue will more than pay for the water police etc required.  Impounding of JetSkis could also be considered:

  • JetSkis to be onlly launched from boat ramps – huge fine applicable
  • No JetSkis on beach or landing on the beach – huge fines applicable
  • JetSkis only allowed out with the boats past moorings if there are any – buoys could make it easy to define
  • JetSkis modified to make more noise to be heavily fined and must prove rectification works are complete, perhaps confiscated
  • I’m not sure whether the EPA needs to set the permissable level of noise, but this should be enforceable
 
Nepean Voters Action Group www.nepeanvoters.org is supported by almost all other local community groups, RSL, Rotary, sporting clubs and our traders.  I would be happy to provide additional information, witnesses, video and photographic evidence to back up any claims mentioned that refer to the hazards.  
 
Thank you for your time, and I hope we can discuss the matter further.
 

Warm regards,

Susan Bissinger

Community Advocate

0414 305 566

LETTER FROM ROB STANLEY 27-11-2024

Dear All,

I write to you to advise that following a near critical incident in February this year – at McCrae Beach – where a Jet Ski at full speed, only 10 metres from shore just missed hitting me by less than 1 metre.  Following this incident the matter was handed to the Victorian Police and is now the matter of a serious investigation.

Adding great support to this issue of improving the regulations controlling the use of Jet Skis –  our Local Member Mr Sam Groth – has sponsored an E petition  to gain support to make change.

The details of which are noted below and attached.

This petition is not about banning Jet Skis –  more so to put in place regulations that will control the use of these water vehicles.

Critical concerns as to use and the environmental impacts of Jet Skis are shared by all on the Mornington Peninsula.

We seek you support to add your name(s) to this very importing process to ensure greater safety on our beaches.

I welcome the opportunity to provide the details of the February incident and to share with you the process we are undertaking.

Please email and we can arrange a time to discuss.

Thank you for taking the time to read this email and thank you in anticipation of your support.

We will be continually expanding our communication base – please forward this note to other concerned residents of the Mornington Peninsula.

@ Sue Bissinger – can you please post this on your www.nepeanvoters.com web site

Kind Regards

Robert Stanley

Rye Resident

Jet Skis are the bane of all residents on the Southern Peninsula, the loud noise which can be heard for a long distance that affects everyone & every year a few people have their lives endangered by reckless & unsafe Jet Ski practices.  We have all seen jetskis among swimmers & some beach themselves at speed on the sand.  The source of anger can be easily abated by enforcing powered watercraft  regulations on them.  Watch this space

RYE TOWNSHIP PLAN

We arrived too late to make an impact on these plans which see an over abundance of concrete & no character.  Napier Plaza, whilst a great idea has been let down by the overuse of exposed aggregate, poor selection of $30K seat, no shade & strange looking disks that seem to do nothing.  Great murals.

RYE PARK & PROMENADE

So much concrete all the way to the water to tie in with Napier Plaza, apparently this is what the people of Rye wanted.  We were too late to make a difference.

PT NEPEAN RD - REMOVING CAR LANES THROUGH RYE

These plans are highly contentious, removing car lanes & providing wide bike lanes – no unlike what they have done in Melbourne.  Trouble is this is the arterial for the rest of the Peninsula, worsening a bottleneck & providing insurmountable issues for our emergency services on the path to the hospital etc.

RYE SKATE PARK

Thanks to the hard work of Chris Brayne, Rye has a budget of $1M for improvements to the skate park.

ALMA & FIELD ST RYE/TOOTGAROOK PATH

Surprising choice for council to spend millions of ratepayer dollars on a low foot traffic area that had fully accessible flat road reserve with not even a goat track.  There are ongoing complaints from residents regarding the selection of the job the quality of the work & the destruction of the  character of the area.  There are also complaints from those where paths vital for pedestrian safety have been deprioritised.  We were too late to influence this long standing poor decision.

RYE AREA PLAN

I would suggest Rye residents to get together & come up with a Rye Area Plan.  To get this over the line, everyone would need to work together, the alternative is to leave it up to council & perhaps one or two residents to decide – the choice is entirely yours. 

Check the Area Plans for Portsea & Sorrento to get an idea of what you should be looking to compile.

If you’ve got ideas or suggestions, it would be great for your community to see them & provide feedback!  You can either set up your own website or email to admin@nepeanvoters.org & we will set up a page on our website for you.  Annual plan updates will ensure all items are completely relevant & emerging needs are captured.

We realise each township has individual priorities & you need to ensure that all are captured.  Once collated, the draft plan will be able to be amended to suit majority community views.