Review of Boating Safety on the Murray River
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REVIEW OF BOATING SAFETY ON THE MURRAY RIVER PAPER FOR PUBLIC COMMENT Message from the Minister Keeping people safe on our waterways is paramount – it is the most important part of my responsibilities as Minister for Waterways. It is not enough to simply regulate or impose restrictions – we must look at intelligent solutions to complex problems. In the Murray River region the number of incidents, injuries and fatalities is simply too high. Between 1 December 2009 and 13 February 2010 there were seven serious incidents and four fatalities. Having visited the area and seen the complexities first- hand, it is clear the solution must be targeted, pragmatic and, importantly, driven by the people who use the waterway. That’s why this review is so important. It is our opportunity to make the Murray region a safer place for all waterway users. I encourage everyone with an interest in the area to read the facts, consider the solution and work together to make the Murray a fun, safe and responsible place to be on the water. The Hon Paul McLeay MP Minister for the Illawarra Minister for Ports & Waterways Minister for Mineral & Forest Resources RIVER MURRAY REVIEW 1 Executive summary The Murray River and its associated waterways provide important recreational opportunities for boaters from NSW and Victoria. The river waters fall under the jurisdiction of NSW and boating is managed by NSW Maritime. As the river also forms the border between NSW and Victoria, this waterway is used by the boating communities of both states and therefore safety requires a cooperative approach. The river in many places is narrow and winding and with large numbers of recreational users, presents significant dangers. Users include fast moving ski and other towing boats, paddle wheelers, houseboats, canoeists, fishers and swimmers. These are often competing for limited space around the major population and access centres. Between January 1992 and February 2010 there were 372 incidents on the river reported to NSW Maritime, resulting in 27 fatalities and more than 237 injuries. This review was triggered by a spate of serious incidents between 1 December 2009 and 13 February 2010 in which 4 people died. Deaths and injuries come at a significant cost to families, the community and government and reducing these impacts requires decisive action. This review brings together incident data from NSW Maritime records, results from Focus Group Meetings at Albury/Mulwala, Moama/Echuca and Mildura, input from Boating Safety Officers (BSOs) with extensive experience on the river, and boating injury analysis conducted by Marine Safety Victoria. The assistance of Marine Safety Victoria in this review is gratefully acknowledged. The key management options identified relate to speed limits and zoning, towing, compliance and enforcement, licensing and education, and vessel fires. The Focus Groups strongly supported more BSOs and a greater on-water presence as the single most effective measure to improve boating safety. There was general support for a speed limit of 40 knots to apply throughout the river, with exemptions for approved races and race training. Speed zoning, tow-rope length restrictions, protective gear, mandatory lifejackets for children, better signage, increased random breath testing and anti-“hoon” powers were suggested as additional boating safety measures for consideration by NSW Maritime. However, action in NSW alone is not the whole answer. With the high use of the river by Victorians, there is also the need to improve the understanding of NSW boating laws and navigation rules of skippers on both sides of the border. Harmonising boat driving licence standards between Victoria and NSW should be considered. Boaters intending to use the Murray should also be provided with education material about their obligations when operating in a NSW waterway. A joint approach to targeted and comprehensive boating education program for both NSW and Victorian boaters is essential. Submissions Invited Submissions, especially specific recommendations to improve boating safety, are sought from all stakeholders involved in boating on the Murray River. NSW Maritime will review all submissions and prepare a second paper outlining specific recommendations for further consideration by the boating community. RIVER MURRAY REVIEW 2 Background The NSW Ports and Waterways Minister the Hon. Paul Mcleay MP tasked NSW Maritime to conduct a review of boating safety after an unusually high number of serious boating incidents in the three months from December 2009 to February 2010. On Christmas eve a swimmer died from injuries after being run over by a ski boat at Casey’s Bend; on Christmas day a man drowned after a small punt capsized 200 metres from the shore of Lake Hume; on 24 January 2010 a water skier died after hitting a log at Moama; and on 13 February 2010 a water skier fell and died while competing in the Southern 80 Ski Races. Other serious incidents over this period included a man receiving severe lacerations and a broken leg after being hit by a boat propeller, a personal watercraft (PWC or jetski) crash, and a skiing incident where a skier was knocked unconscious. The rate of serious boating incidents on the Murray River is increasing: Between 1992 and 2008 there were: • 27 fatal incidents (an average of 1.7 fatalities each year) Between July 2008 and June 2009 there were: • 3 fatal incidents Between July 2009 and April 2010 there were: • 4 fatal incidents Its not just the personal, emotional and social costs associated with serious boating incidents that have to be considered. The financial consequences of boating fatalities are also significant. The National Marine Safety Committee1 has estimated the cash cost to the community of each boating fatality to be $1.5 million, representing a total cost of more than $40 million for boating fatalities on the Murray since 1992. Injured recreational boaters average more than 38 hours in hospital2. Geographically, boating incidents on the Murray River are relatively focussed around Albury, Lake Mulwala, Moama, and Mildura, with a particular concentration around Moama. This is illustrated in figure 1. Figure 1 Boating Fatalities and Serious Injuries on the Murray River 1992 to 2010 1. National Marine Safety Committee (2003), National standard for the Australian builders plate for recreational boats. Final regulatory impact statement, NMSC, Sydney. 2. Follow-up study of hospital treated recreational boating injury – the long term effects of industry. Marine Safety Victoria May 2008. RIVER MURRAY REVIEW 3 Review process This review commenced in April with targeted stakeholder meetings held at Albury/Mulwala, Moama/Echuca and Buronga/Mildura. The meetings provided focused views to assist in the preparation of this Discussion Paper for public comment. A brochure was prepared and distributed seeking submissions to this review. Because of the extensive interest, submissions to the Discussion Paper will now close on Tuesday 13 July 2010. Submissions will be used to develop a set of specific recommendations for further discussions with the boating community, including the Recreational Vessel Advisory Group (RVAG) and the Maritime Ministerial Advisory Council (MMAC). A final report will then be presented to Government for consideration. Any changes will be progressively implemented in consultation with boating groups. Jurisdiction All the waters of the Murray River3 fall under the jurisdiction of NSW. NSW Maritime is responsible for boating safety on the river including the registration of NSW boats and the issue of NSW boat driving licences. Victorian boat driving licences are recognised in NSW under Clause 76 of the Marine Safety (General) Regulation 2009. Under Section 50 of the Marine Safety Act 1998 boats registered in Victoria or another state are not required to be registered in NSW when visiting for a period of less than 3 months. Origin of vessels The majority of vessels using the Murray River and associated waterways come from Victoria. Over the past two years almost 90 per cent of the vessels checked by NSW Maritime on the Murray River have come from that state (see Table 1). Table 1 – Vessel Check Statistics 2009-2010 Vessel Check Statistics October 2009 – April 2010 Area Total No. Checked NSW % VIC % Other % Lake Mulwala – Including Ovens River to MV Highway Bridge 328 12.8 87.2 0.0 Murray River – Tom Groggin to Lake Hume (to Bethanga Bridge) 15 93.3 6.7 0.0 Murray River – Lake Hume to Lake Mulwala 86 1.2 98.8 0.0 Murray River – Yarrawonga Weir to Tocumwal 125 4.0 96.0 0.0 Murray River – Tocumwal to Barmah 162 7.4 91.4 1.2 Murray River – Barmah to Moama 282 3.9 95.7 0.4 Murray River – Moama to Torrumbarry Weir 515 6.0 92.4 1.6 Murray River – Torrumbarry Weir to Swan Hill 23 30.4 69.6 0.0 Murray River – Swan Hill to Robinvale 46 8.7 91.3 0.0 Murray River – Robinvale to Mildura 340 9.4 87.1 3.5 Murray River – Mildura to SA Border 386 13.0 83.2 3.9 Total 2308 9.06 89.30 1.65 3. Special arrangements apply to the waters of Lake Hume. RIVER MURRAY REVIEW 4 Incidents More than three quarters of all the above incidents involved the main vessel owners (MVOs) coming from Victoria. The relative frequencies of incidents resulting in fatalities, serious and minor injuries reported to NSW Maritime (by postcode of the MVOs) are shown in Figure 2. The number of incidents reported to NSW Maritime is considered to be an underestimate with many of those injured returning to Victoria for treatment where the incident may not be reported as boat related. Figure 2 – All incidents by MVO postcode 1992–2010 80% 77.1 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 21.3 20% 10% 0.4 0.8 0.4 0 NSW VIC ACT WA QLD A separate analysis of boating injury statistics in 2007 by Marine Safety Victoria4 showed that two thirds were undertaking a towed water sport at the time of injury, mostly waterskiing (26% of all study participants), wakeboarding (21%), being towed on an inflatable (12%) and knee boarding (8%).