Making Eurobodalla waterways safer has paid off for Batemans Bay’s Peter Hunter in the form of a NSW Maritime Medal.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Mr Hunter has been a volunteer safety ambassador and advocate for responsible use of personal watercraft (PWC) for more than 15 years, and was nominated by the Australian Jet Sports Boating Association.
Maritime Minister Duncan Gay awarded this year’s Maritime Medals, recognising outstanding and sustained contributions to the boating community in NSW, to Mr Hunter, Commodore of the Sydney Heritage Fleet and former submariner Tim Swales and Avalon Sailing Club president and commodore David Lyall on the tall ship James Craig on Sydney Harbour last week.
Mr Hunter, who divides his time between his Batemans Bay and ACT homes, has spent past 15 teaching safe and enjoyable use of PWCs (such as jetskis) and advocating for measures that minimised the impact of the craft on the environment and other water users.
The image of PWC users took a battering in the 1980s and 1990s, to the point where they were banned from Sydney Harbour in 2001 and hit with registration fees four times as high as that for recreational boats.
Mr Hunter has about improving the image and behaviour of such users, and helping them enjoy the sport more.
“I negotiated getting the the speed limit reduced for powered craft under the Nelligen, Batemans Bay and Moruya bridges to under 10 knots,” he said.
Mr Hunter was also instrumental and having Cullendulla Creek made off limits to PWCs and other powered craft to protect the fragile marine ecosystem there.
He had input into the design of the pontoon jetties at Batemans Bay’s Hanging Rock boat ramp, to make them more accessible for more users.
“Rob Moldovan (of the RMS) and I work closely together to help people avoid getting $250 infringement notices,” he said.
He has also successfully lobbied to get PWC registration fees down.
Mr Hunter takes new PWC users of all different ages and walks of life under his wing.
“I was recently teaching a lady in her 60s to jump off the PWC properly,” he said.
“She was exhausted at the end, but she did it and is now a better rider.”
He promotes organised racing as a way of addressing anti-social behaviour and when taking groups of PWC users out, he ensures that they get as far away from houses at possible.
He hands out free information packages including DVDs and booklets about responsible and safe use of PWCs, and was in at Hanging Rock in Batemans Bay doing exactly that in the warm weather on Saturday.
When giving Mr Hunter his award, Mr Gay said “Peter’s work has contributed to improved safety outcomes in PWC use in NSW, which includes a decline in fatal incidents statewide.”
