Auckland Council lifejacket bylaw survey

[Farrari 4]

We received this email from the Starling association. I think it sums it up very well.

 

The survey can be accessed at http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/AboutCouncil/HaveYourSay/Pages/safeboatinginauckland.aspx

 

Have you say so as the auckland council consultants get a balanced opinion.

 

Date: Sat, 4 May 2013 22:18:36 +1200

Subject: Compulsory wearing of life jackets

From: xxx

To: xxx

 

This email is mainly of interest to people who go boating in Auckland but is also relevant throughout NZ. Auckland Council is considering it's by laws to decide if it should change the current by law which requires every boat to have a life jacket on board for every person, to making it compulsory for everyone to wear them if the boat is under 6.0m long, at all times. That includes rowing ashore in your dinghy, when swimming off your boat, and having a sleep. Two young children drowned recently because they were trapped inside the cabin of a boat which sank and they could not get down through the doorway because they were wearing lifejackets. That is why airlines tell you not to inflate your jacket until you are outside the aircraft.This has been prompted by some well meaning people concerned at the high number of drownings in the Polynesian community, who see compulsory wearing as the only solution, even despite the fact that the current by laws have exceptions for example-:

 

for an unpowered vessel e.g. surfboard, or

a windsurfer wearing a wetsuit, or

a person training, or

a person participating in a sporting event.

 

It is unclear if this includes rowing dinghies.

 

The Council is conducting a survey which I believe asks appropriate questions and to its credit the Council is properly consulting with as wide a body of people as it can. Numbers will count on this. No matter what you opinion on the topic is you should have your say. There are several options including making no changes. Please take the time to answer the questionnaire and make sure your boating friends do as well.

 

For those of you who do your boating outside of Auckland be aware that Councils are increasing their vigilance on this topic. There are reports that it is already mandatory in the Hawkes Bay but with some exceptions negotiated by Napier SC. The Harbour master at Coromandel was recently reported to be handing out fines for boaties accessing the local stream in their dinghies, if they didn't have lifejackets in their boats, and Environment Waikato published draft by laws which made wearing life jackets compulsory. If your Council hasn't already considered this you can expect them to be doing so soon. They just love a bit of regulation.

 

To access the survey you can go to http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/haveyoursay (Please go to ‘Current consultations’ then ‘Safe boating in Auckland’ under Regional consultations). The survey is open until the 31st May.

 

Regards

Richard Brown

[Guest]

Notice the lifejacket manufacturers and lining up alongside this in numbers!! I smell a rat!! Drumming up business!!

[otto 31]

done

hope others do the same and take time to add some constructive comments.

I for one are not keen on having compulsory like jackets under 6mtrs.

 

And whether its the current or new rules i don't see how this would be better especially when SUP's are not required to have pfd's.

[Guest]

What a silly set of questions. Whoever wrote that isn't a boatie.

[erice 732]

looks like all helen's nannies

 

moved to auckland

 

when the country kicked them out of power in wellington

[otto 31]

What a silly set of questions. Whoever wrote that isn't a boatie.

 

looks like all helen's nannies

 

moved to auckland

 

when the country kicked them out of power in wellington

 

exactly why i spent more time typing in answers than clicking on theirs.

[Steve Pope 243]

Definitely written with outcomes (already?) decided, Yes I agree that all the safety folk have a definite vested interest in this going ahead.

It is interesting that folk like RFD are selling life jackets that are required to be serviced every 2 years, perhaps they know something we don't.

perhaps they have an agenda for this to become one of the rules??

[Chewing Gum 17]

In sheltered waters I see absolutely no reason to have lifejackets in my yacht tender. It is a Southern Pacific RIB 2.8m and to my mind is safer than any lifejacket. Recently I decided to see what would happen in the unlikely event that one of the rear floats was punctured, leaving the other 2 compartments inflated. I let out all the air and the boat still floated quite happily. The only effect was a slight softening of the other 2 compartments due to less pressure on the compartment bulkheads.

[armchairadmiral 411]

Be very afraid...boat registration with associated cost and licensing with costs plus pointy headed enforcement "just doing their job" will be next.All this to create well paid empires...there is no problem that will be solved by this........

[banaari 27]

exactly why i spent more time typing in answers than clicking on theirs.

Snap!

[gurge 0]

In the Waikato regional council area this is already in place. So they are just bringing the rest of the country into the same set of rules. Names for all boats, under 6m must wear a life jacket to name a few. These are policed especially with a loud hailer from the Whangamata wharf . So if you visit this region you are already under the new guidelines. Coromandel included.

[Island Time 1,235]

More bureaucratic crap. Laws passed must be enforced or they are pointless. That costs. More taxes to pay for them.

 

People being injured or dying due to their own stupidity has always been a part of life. The state is not and should not be responsible. Take responsibility for yourself!

 

I did the survey, typed most of my own answers. I have no problem with education (encourage it), but additional regulation is not required or desired.

[Guest]

Safety at Sea and other marine safety companies were asked if we would support the survey by offering PFDs as an incentive to people to both fill out the survey and record their details. We were happy to do so.

 

Auckland and NZ have quite pragmatic PFD requirements, and I urge as many people to fill in the survey as possible supporting this fact.

We need to ensure we don't end up like many Australian states with draconian and complex rules.

 

It should be noted that PFD usage is increasing. Nearly all drownings are the result of either not wearing PFDs, or other circumstances such as poor skipper decisionmaking, overloading, unsafe vessel, storms, groundings etc causing the initial problem.

[Clive 13]

done.

[Deep Purple 511]

In the Waikato regional council area this is already in place. So they are just bringing the rest of the country into the same set of rules. Names for all boats, under 6m must wear a life jacket to name a few. These are policed especially with a loud hailer from the Whangamata wharf . So if you visit this region you are already under the new guidelines. Coromandel included.

 

Yep, same in Whitianga

[otto 31]

Auckland and NZ have quite pragmatic PFD requirements, and I urge as many people to fill in the survey as possible supporting this fact.

We need to ensure we don't end up like many Australian states with draconian and complex rules.

 

It should be noted that PFD usage is increasing. Nearly all drownings are the result of either not wearing PFDs, or other circumstances such as poor skipper decisionmaking, overloading, unsafe vessel, storms, groundings etc causing the initial problem.

 

 

I did the survey, typed most of my own answers. I have no problem with education (encourage it), but additional regulation is not required or desired.

 

Hopefully more will take the time to type in answers and comments.

[Guest]

done

And whether its the current or new rules i don't see how this would be better especially when SUP's are not required to have pfd's.

 

FYI, SUP's are classed as vessels and as such you are required to carry a lifejacket/PFD on-board... so for practical purposes you may as well wear it in effect making it compulsory to wear one.

 

I don't necessarily agree, or comply with that, but just saying in case you have a particularly vigilant Harbourmaster.

 

There was talk about changing the rules, so that PFD's/lifejackets don't have to be worn in the "surf zone" i.e. if you are using them to surf close to the shore. Nothing official has happened to further this though.

[otto 31]

done

And whether its the current or new rules i don't see how this would be better especially when SUP's are not required to have pfd's.

 

FYI, SUP's are classed as vessels and as such you are required to carry a lifejacket/PFD on-board... so for practical purposes you may as well wear it in effect making it compulsory to wear one.

 

I don't necessarily agree, or comply with that, but just saying in case you have a particularly vigilant Harbourmaster.

 

There was talk about changing the rules, so that PFD's/lifejackets don't have to be worn in the "surf zone" i.e. if you are using them to surf close to the shore. Nothing official has happened to further this though.

 

TM perhaps this is proving half the problem and that the rules are not well known, reading the current rules explained on the homepage before clicking on the survey says

 

This rule does not apply in a number of situations, for example:

for an unpowered vessel

[Guest]

People being injured or dying due to their own stupidity has always been a part of life. The state is not and should not

be responsible. Take responsibility for yourself!

If this was a Church they would be outside right this moment bashing into the middle of a large pile of firewood a frecking great pole with the words 'IT the Heretic' emblazoned across the top.

[otto 31]

Bump