Perched on the southern shore of the Port Hacking River and surrounded by the heritage listed Royal National Park sits Bundeena. Further west on the glittering Port Hacking River sits the village of Maianbar. Pretty beaches, stunning coastal vistas and peaceful bushland meet in these villages. Just more than 2,500 residents live in these communities. In the summer, the number of people in the area swells by the thousands, with the Royal National Park hosting more than five million visitors each year who make use of the amenities in Bundeena and Maianbar, including the four picturesque beaches of Bonnie Vale, Horderns, Gunyah and Jibbon. Residents and visitors alike enjoy swimming, kayaking and launching their boats and private watercrafts from the Bonnie Vale boat ramp. However, what comes with this idyllic tourist destination is congestion in the summer, with competition for launching boats and private watercraft at Bonnie Vale, and people flocking to the beaches. This mix of boats, PWCs and swimmers could be a recipe for disaster.
Residents of Bundeena and Maianbar have raised with me the poor behaviour from the users of PWCs, better known as jet skis. This includes veering too close to swimmers, speeding and engaging in other antisocial behaviour. This community consultation has led me to start a petition calling on Transport for NSW to work with the community to address antisocial jet ski behaviour on the Hacking, particularly at Bonnie Vale beach. Bonnie Vale is a well‑frequented beach in the community that has a fragile dune system and endangered Posidonia seagrass beds. Port Hacking River, where Bonnie Vale is situated, is a designated restriction zone. In restriction zones PWCs must not be used for "irregular driving" within 200 metres of a riverbank or shore. This means they must be operated generally in a straight line within 200 metres of the shoreline. They must keep a minimum distance of 60 metres from people in the water.
In 2017 the Office of Environment and Heritage released a discussion paper examining future directions for the use of jet skis off Bonnie Vale. This paper identified the need for:
phasing out the launching of power boats or jet skis from Bonnie Vale day use area. This will improve safety for the large numbers of swimmers and beach users, protect the fragile dune system and improve pedestrian safety in the carpark
Preceding this paper, in 2015 then Liberal‑Nationals Government Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight, Duncan Gay, committed to address jet ski usage on the Hacking, including extending exclusion zones and dedicating more policing resources to patrol. However, as is to be expected from the Coalition, no meaningful change was enacted.
The 2022 Centre for Maritime Safety report entitledBoating Incidents in NSW highlighted how jet skis are over‑represented in serious injuries. Over the 10‑year period to 30 June 2022, jet skis were involved in 16.6 per cent of the recreational serious injury incidents recorded but accounted for an average of around 5.8 per cent of registered recreational vessels. Some 35.9 per cent of these incidents occurred within Botany Bay and Port Hacking. A 2022 paper in the journalOcean and Coastal Management outlined how the anchoring of jet skis and the disturbance of sediment by their engines has a negative impact on Posidonia seagrass beds, aquatic life and bird life, resulting in the scarring and death of seagrass beds, marine organisms and bird life.
It is evident that we need both short‑term and long-term solutions for the management of jet skis at Bonnie Vale and in Port Hacking. I am part of a government that listens to its community and I hear the people loudly: They want action on jet ski usage. Signatories to my petition have reaffirmed this. I am committed to taking a consultative approach on jet ski management with all stakeholders: jet ski users, residents, Transport for NSW and the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.
