2021-01-18 GC - Item 2 - Attachment 2 - Consultation Report River Plan Version 1 (2018)

               -    I invite your reply.

Private        -    When whales are migrating ban the jet skis (they harass the whales).

Private        -    Allow PWC up to the ski runs.
               -    Why should they be banned when eco tour boats, fishery and police crafts create more wake than any other vessel on the river.
               -    Newer 4 stroke models are quieter and don’t pollute like the many clapped out 2 stroke boats that run up to the lakes.

Private        -    Tolerance, you have a wide range of bans and zero reasoning for them.
               -    This is offensive to those who enjoy these forms of recreation and is against the general rules of lawmaking that require reasonable consultation and
                    consideration and evidence.

Private        -    If you want to eliminate noise, do that.
               -    If you want to protect birds, specify how & when & where.
               -    If you want to keep people safe, find a way that doesn’t involve completely destroying their opportunity to enjoy the river.
               -    Please stop banning craft and activities, when neither of those things are what you really mean.

Private        -    Hi, I have a young family and we love to catch and release Fish.
               -    I have a large 7m plate jet boat and 2 jet skis.
               -    With your current plan I have to take my large heavy noisy jet boat up the river up past Boreen Point to do some fresh water fishing with the kids.
               -    Why can’t we take our Jet skis up there to fish off??
               -    They do not produce any wake, make a lot less noise than an outboard motor on a tinny and instead of using over 65L of fuel as my large boat I can
                    take the 2 jet skis up there for 15L of fuel.
              -     The same question with the Ski Zones why can’t I tow my kids around with a tube behind a jet ski in the Ski Zone.
              -     Which would be a lot more environmentally friendly as it uses hardly any fuel, has next to no wake and is a lot less noisy than most fishing boat let
                    along ski boats!
              -     Ski boat are designed to produce huge wakes which destroys the riverbanks,
              -     As the ski boat are producing the large wake the rear of the boat is sitting further down which is disturbing the riverbeds and jet skis don’t do this!
              -     So why is the Noosa council still living in the dark ages where jet skis are all noisy 2 strokes.
              -     Stop discriminating the type of vessel, especially if it has a less environmental impact!
              -     If some is doing the wrong thing on a jet ski, then fine them just as you would a fishing boat or ski boat!

Private   To Noosa Council and Sandy Bolton MP
               -   PWS … 6 knot restricted areas.
               -   I would ask Council to recommend to the legislature, an amendment to the Noosa River Marine Zone to enable Residents upstream from the Noosa
                   Yacht Club, to travel at 6 knots to the area where it is legal to ride, being the Noosa River mouth.
               -   This would put those residents on equal footing with residents at Wygani Drive, Munna Point, Noosa Waters and all Canal front homes.
               -   Council recommendation for the Marine Zone Amendment in 2009 was in my view, discriminatory, in that those residents can legally travel at 6 knots
                   to a riding zone, where those upstream cannot.
               -   This would appear to be in breach article 26 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (articles 2.1, 14, 24, 25 and 26).
               -   The reasoning for the 2009 amendment was set out within pages 10, 11 and 12 of the document on Councils then web site.
               -   It is submitted that reasoning was materially untrue and perhaps misleading.
               -   It said they had strong support.
               -   Submissions totalled 205, which is NOT strong support, given the thousands who live within the district and the many that use the area as visitors.
               -   The majority (of which I was one) had no idea of the pending amendments and accordingly did not need get involved in the change.
               -   Of these 205 submissions, a paltry number, 53% (109) were in support of the proposed ban and 39% against with 8% wanting no change but subject
                   to conditions of speed and limits to areas of use.
               -   So council considered at that time, that approximately 109 supporters speak for the thousands who did not either know of the changes or thought they
                   were of no significance.
               -   It is submitted that Council did not have strong support for the banning amendment.
               -   It also said there were issues of noise and wash.
               -   During the early era of jet skis or some 30 years ago, 2 stroke skis were noisy and emitted fumes, no doubt about that.
               -   Today, and probably for maybe the past 20-30 years, those skis have phased out and hardly exist.
               -   With obsolesce and modern riders not wanting them, they are substantially gone.
               -   Many with bigoted attitude still dwell on that noise, and ignore the fact that modern day 4 stroke machines, the majority by far, make little noise,
                   discharge little exhaust and present limited wash, if any.
               -   Their technology and noise level is indeed similar to modern outboard motors.
               -   In accusing PWC’s of the points to support the ban, aim was been taken at the wrong vessels, as regards noise and wash.
               -   Many outboard motors including those on small tinnies, (which are probably the largest boat users of the river), make more noise than jet skis.
               -   Being a riverside resident, I hear it myself. B Larger twin hulled tourist vessels and the like, are the biggest culprits of river wash.
               -   Residents of the North Shore of which I am one, have had these latter vessels erode our shoreline, undermining revetment walls, silting up areas
                   beneath jetty walkways, and so on.
               -   With regards to my own property on the North Shore a) I have been a resident there for 20 years.
               -   The home is nearly 40 years old. Twenty years ago, I could moor a 5 metre tinnie on my jetties walkway. Ten years ago, it became silted up to the
                   point that was no longer possible other than in very high tides.
               -   The prior owner i.e. 18 years before me was able to constantly moor on the walkway.
               -   Also 20 years ago, the slipway was clear into the river bed and sea grasses abounded.
               -   Ten year ago the slipway was raised above the river bed and the sea grasses gone.
               -   That remains the case today.
               -   It is quite clear as a regular river user that this abatement of sand has been because of wash from larger vessels predominately tourist vessels that
                   use the river on a daily basis.
               -   I can see it with my own eyes.
               -   What must be understood is that since the restriction on jet skis in 2009, none of that has come back.
               -   The restriction, I submit has achieved nothing but has discriminated against some residents in that they cannot travel at 6 knots to legal ski areas.
               -   Furthermore it proves to my mind, that Skis, not being on the river, (other than maybe a few illegal riders, but not many) have not been the cause of
                   the ongoing wash issues currently affecting our residence.
               -   The reasoning of the respondents to the 2009 consultation were substantially correct, namely
               -   That concerns were overstated,
               -   Irresponsible behaviour can be attributed to a small minority,
               -   The proposed ban is discriminatory against a single type of craft,
               -   Problems should be overcome with better enforcement, policing and education,
               -   4-stroke motors are not noisy,
               -   Jet skis do not create wash, and consequently are seldom responsible for shore damage.
               -   May I make it quite clear? I am not asking for the current banning to be reversed, only that those affected residents may travel at 6 knots to allowable
                   ski areas.
          .
Private   I FULLY SUPPORT AND REQUEST AN AMENDMENT TO THE
               -   Noosa River Marine Zone, Transport Operations (Marine Safety) Regulation 2004.
               -   TO ALLOW:
               -   Jet skis / Personal Water Crafts the SAME RIGHTS as other boats on Noosa River.


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