Jetboat audit role might sink: QLDC

A move by Maritime New Zealand to choose who audits jetboat operators has left the Queenstown Lakes District Council concerned it could be shut out of the role in the future.

The national body is reviewing maritime rule Part 80, which covers commercial rafting and jetboating, and proposes to replace it with two separate rules.

At present, the rule allows for the audit and inspection functions to be done by an authorised person who, in Queenstown, must be employed or contracted to the council for that purpose.

But under the proposed changes, the audit and inspection functions will be delegated by the director of Maritime New Zealand.

Council chief executive Duncan Field said the council was one of the first in the country to establish jetboat safety through bylaws.

Maritime New Zealand then adopted the system as a national requirement but wrote into the regulations that the council could continue to appoint its own nominated person, Mr Field said.

The proposal would mean little would change at first but later the director could decide not to include the council any further, which was worrying, he said.

"What they're doing is they're writing us out of that, the regulation, and saying they will replace it with a code of practice, and we're not that comfortable with that," Mr Field said.

Harbourmaster Marty Black handles the audit and inspection functions for council but referred all questions to regulatory and corporate services general manager Roger Taylor.

Mr Taylor said the council had created an integrated approach that minimised bureaucracy, with recreational and commercial water safety handled under one role.

"Where this may go to is different people looking after each activity with different sets of rules," he said.

Maritime New Zealand spokeswoman Sophie Hazelhurst said the proposed change was not intend-ed to remove the council's role in auditing and inspecting jet-boats.

The key difference would simply be the way people were authorised to undertake these functions, and would better align the rules with the director's statutory powers under the Maritime Safety Act, Ms Hazelhurst said.

Any changes were "some time away" and would have to be circulated for consultation before going to the Transport Ministry for consideration, she said.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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