Mackay boaties improving safety

Mackay boaties made a steady improvement in their safety record in 2006, despite increasing vessels on the region's waterways.

Minister for Transport and Main Roads Paul Lucas said there were 105 incidents in the Mackay maritime region in 2006, down eight per cent from the previous year.

There was one fatality and four serious injuries, down significantly from 2005 when there were two fatalities and 11 serious injuries.

"While the number of reported marine incidents in the Mackay region decreased, it was most encouraging to see a fall in the number of the more serious incidents,” Mr Lucas said.

"This is particularly significant given the rapidly increasing number of recreational craft in the region, driven in part by the boom in the region's mining sector.

"Maritime Safety Queensland believes that in general people using vessels on the region's waterways are more safety conscious and are by and large doing the right thing.

"In Queensland, almost one in every 15 people aged 15 years and older owns a boat, and incredibly around one in every five people in the same age group holds some form of marine licence.

"We also passed the 200,000 mark for registered recreational vessels in January 2006 and if current growth rates continue we’ll beat NSW as the biggest boat owning state in the next year or so," Mr Lucas said.

At 31 December 2006 there were 16,773 vessels registered within the Mackay region, of which more than 95 per cent are recreational vessels. While the region’s registered vessel fleet represents only 7.84 per cent of the Queensland total, growth in registered vessel numbers in 2006 was 6.75 per cent compared with a state average growth of 4.44 per cent.

The Mackay region extends from Georges Point and Gloucester Island at the northern end of the Whitsunday Islands to Long Island Sound and St Lawrence in the south.

The region encompasses two major shipping ports at Mackay and Hay Point and Maritime Safety Queensland monitors the movement of ships both within these ports and the inner shipping route of the Great Barrier Reef

With increasing congestion and vessel traffic it is not surprising that the most prevalent types of reported marine incidents were collisions. Of the 31 reported collision incidents, 20 involved collisions with other vessels.

The Mackay region boasts a significant 'bare boat' hire and drive sector. It is not surprising then that 24 of the 128 vessels involved in incidents in 2006 were commercial hire and drive vessels. However, none of these resulted in a fatality or serious injury.

Mr Lucas said the report emphasised the need for people to be ‘boat smart.’

“Before you hit the waterways make sure your boat and safety equipment is in good working order,” Mr Lucas said.

“And remember the basics – look out for other boats, keep to the speed limit and don’t drink and operate a vessel.”

The 2006 Marine Incidents Report is available online at Maritime Safety Queensland's web site at www.msq.qld.gov.au.

Media inquiries: Robert Hoge 3237 1942