Pictures of jet-skiers doing "doughnuts" near swimmers in the shallows at the Gold Coast show the danger of the exclusion-zone standoff between councils and the State Government.

Parliament passed a law 18 months ago allowing councils to outlaw jet skis from designated areas, but the councils refuse to do it.

And the folly of the inaction is clearly captured here at Southport Broadwater, where more than 500 complaints have been made in the past two years against jet-skiers and the noise they cause.

"The (Gold Coast City) council don't want to do anything because there are too many vested interests involved," said a spokesman for the Broadwater Noise Action Group.

A survey among residents in the area showed that 80 per cent of locals wanted jet skis banned.

Gold Coast councillor Rob Molhoek slammed the legislation, which came into force in July 2005.

"I would love to see exclusion zones but the State Government's legislation is useless because it means the council would have to enforce the zones and we don't have the resources," he said.

"I want to see the law changed because what the Government has done is deflect the responsibility to councils when the real issue is we need more police on the water."

But Transport Minister Paul Lucas refuses to change the law and has instead attacked Gold Coast City Council.

"The issue of noise and disturbance to residential properties is a local government issue," he said.

"We can only consider applications for exclusion zones if councils apply for them."

Last week The Sunday Mail revealed that not a single exclusion zone has been created since the State Government's jet ski management plan came into effect in 2005.

Noosa Shire Council is the only local authority in the state seeking a zone, despite the fact that most infringement notices against the skis are issued on the Gold Coast.

In a letter to Mr Lucas last month, Broadwater Noise Action Group complained the legislation was not working.

"The implementation process has had the completely opposite effect to that intended by the original amendments to the legislation," it says.

"We are suffering because of politics and nobody seems to want to deal with this problem." 

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By Edmund Burke

January 13, 2007 11:00pm
Article from: The Sunday Mail (Qld)