Councillor vents at 'toothless' bylaw: 'There is going to be carnage'

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from Northern Outlook

​From local democracy reporter David Hill:

Bylaws are ‘‘toothless’’ without enforcement, a Waimakariri district councillor says.

Al Blackie, a retired dentist and volunteer maritime safety officer, has vented his frustrations at boat users who he says are exceeding the 5-knot speed limit on the Kaiapoi River, in violation of a local bylaw.

He said he recently photographed a jet ski doing repeated passes at speed.

“To be fair she slowed down when she got to the marina, and turned around, but she was beating it by the time she got to the coastguard building.

“We are between a rock and hard place because it is a navigation issue, which is Environment Canterbury’s responsibility, and it takes 45 minutes to an hour for them to get here and get a boat on the water, and by then they’re gone.

“One of these days there is going to be carnage.”

Local rowing clubs trained on the river from young children to adults, and it also had an impact on the Kaiapoi River Queen, Blackie said.

The problem was the council had no way of enforcing its bylaws, he said.

Signs were put up to warn of speed limits, but these were often removed, vandalised or used for target practice.

He wanted councils to be given the ability to issue fines.

Blackie said the council faced similar issues when trying to enforce the Pegasus Bay Bylaw.

The Ashley Rakahuri Rivercare Group faced challenges from cats, dogs and vehicles, as well as rats and black-backed gulls, as it sought to protect native birds

“Often it is locals, and their fellow locals, who can be quick to moan about it, but they don’t report it,” Blackie said.

“It is going to take the good locals dobbing in the bad locals to get to the bottom of this.”