With the onset of summer, it was time for boaties to review their compliance on the water, Queenstown Lakes District Council harbourmaster Marty Black said.

In July the Council successfully took a landmark case under the Queenstown Lakes District Waterways Navigation and Safety Bylaw 2003, resulting in three convictions.

"It is now illegal to carry insufficient lifejackets for the amount and size of people aboard a craft. If you have small children on board, the lifejackets must be able to be safely fitted," Mr Black said.

Checking the number of lifejackets should become second nature, as should going the next step and making sure everyone on board was wearing a lifejacket, he said.

The Glenorchy fishing contest this weekend was one of the season's early opportunities to ensure boaties were aware of the new rules and complying, Mr Black said.

"We will certainly have a presence and boaties can expect that at events like this we will be making checks," Mr Black said.

The July case saw two men convicted and ordered to pay fines of $500 each for wakeboarding without a spotter, while a third man was convicted and fined $500 for being in control of a vessel on Lake Wanaka , which did not carry sufficient life jackets appropriate for the size of each person aboard.

ENDS

For further information please contact Marty Black 0274 345 289.

By: Kiri