SUNSHINE Coast councils have hit back at state government claims they have failed to establish jet ski exclusion zones for waterways.

Transport Minister Paul Lucas has been reported as saying councils across the south-east had been "too slow" to introduce exclusion zones following a state government plan released in July 2005.

He said Noosa was the only council to have begun the process but had also been too slow to implement the zones.

Noosa mayor Bob Abbot said his council had been working with the transport department for two years and if there was a hold-up it wasn't council's fault.

"We're desperately trying to get it done and have had an exclusion zone in place since the Noosa River Plan two years ago," he said.

"There are no jet skis allowed above the Noosa Waters canal and restrictions of six knots to the river mouth into Laguna Bay."

Caloundra City mayor Don Aldous said his council supported exclusion zones, particularly for the Pumicestone Passage, but they were "not easy to achieve".

Maroochy mayor Joe Natoli said councillors had identified areas where they would like to see jet skis banned.

"Generally councils will not go down the path of monitoring and taking action to prosecute offenders, because they are the nominated areas looked after by state government," he said.

Full story at Sunshine Coast Daily