Summer sting: jet ski offences triple on Hunter waterways

The sport's popularity has surged but non-compliance has also increased.

The Newcastle Herald can reveal Maritime NSW officers issued 38 penalty notices and 91 official warnings to jet ski riders in Port Stephens, Newcastle and Lake Macquarie across December, January and February.

On the same waterways last summer, just 26 fines were dealt out, and 13 the year before.

The number of licensed jet ski riders in NSW had almost doubled - soaring by 45 per cent - in five years.

"At the same time, there has also been an increase in jet ski related offences," a Transport for NSW spokesperson said.

Data for the 2023 to 2024 summer season showed the non-compliance rate for jet skis had also almost doubled in five years.

Maritime NSW officers carried out 653 jet ski vessel safety checks in Port Stephens, Newcastle and Lake Macquarie, and found compliance had dipped to 80 per cent.

"The most prevalent jet ski offences related to licensing and registration, speeding and failing to maintain an appropriate distance from others in the water," the Transport for NSW spokesperson said.

Compliance officers had carried out blitzes on Hunter waterways during the summer, cracking down on jet ski rule-breakers as a flood of new riders took up the activity.

Operation Stay Afloat in January was Maritime NSW's first sting of the season, aimed at educating jet ski users and reminding them of their responsibilities to keep themselves and others safe.

Five riders were fined and more than 20 were hit with formal warnings in one weekend at Lake Macquarie and Port Stephens - two known hotspots.

Maritime NSW boat safety operator Jim Lawson was out on the water at Little Beach and Shoal Bay as part of that operation and said at the time he had been pleased with the behaviour of the majority of riders.

Community members had raised concerns during the busy summer that they had noticed more jet skis out and about, including some going too fast and operating too close to wildlife and other water users.

A veteran Nelson Bay tour operator told the Herald the quiet and quick machines were altering dolphin behaviour, while a Lake Macquarie wildlife rescuer revealed turtle strikes had been reported.

One tourist said he contacted water police after watching what he claimed to be a jet ski rider ploughing through a flock of black swans feeding off Bagnalls Beach on December 30.

There are laws around how close jet skis can get to marine life - like dolphins and whales - and to other water users.

Minister for Transport Jo Haylen told the Herald summer may be over but NSW Maritime's safety officers would continue patrols to ensure people were doing the right thing.

"It is fantastic to see more people getting out and enjoying the beautiful waterways in the Hunter region, but this recent drop in jet ski compliance is a concern we are taking seriously," she said.

"Summer may officially be over, but with more warmth on the way and the Easter and Anzac Day long weekends just around the corner we're expecting people will flock to the popular waterways around Port Stephens, Newcastle and Lake Macquarie and want to make sure everyone is being safe while having fun."

In those locations over the summer, NSW Maritime officers carried out 1040 safety checks on recreational vessels that were not jet skis, issuing 138 warnings and 49 penalty notices.

The 187 formal actions recorded in December, January and February were significantly down on the summer before, when there were 321.

Licensing, registration, safety equipment offences and life jacket non-compliance were the main problems.

The NSW Personal Watercraft (PWC) Association was contacted for comment.