A new boating speed limit of 6 knots has been introduced by MSQ at Airlie Beach following safety concerns raised by stakeholders in the area.
The reduced speed limit will improve safety for a wide range of users after it received strong public support.
The waters around Airlie Beach are busy and often congested with recreational and commercial craft of many kinds, including tourism and live-aboard vessels, as well as swimmers and passive craft.
It has 2 very popular marinas and many moored or anchored craft close-by in Pioneer Bay.
A speed limit of 6 knots had already been applied in the 2 marinas and their lead entrances, but there had been many minor collisions and near-miss incidents around the nearby mooring grids.
We received many complaints from owners of moored and anchored craft about motorised craft endangering their safety by passing too close at excessive speed.
Our assessment of the situation concluded it was only a matter of time before a serious incident occurred, so we conducted extensive public consultation over 6 months on options to improve safety.
The option most strongly supported was to extend the 6 knots speed limit into the mooring zones.
This outcome provides clarity for the local and visiting boating communities, is more easily enforced than other options, and will reduce the potential for collisions between vessels and damage or injuries caused by vessel wash.
We estimated that extending the 6 knots speed limit into the mooring zones would impose, at most, 4 minutes of extra time for craft traversing the zone.
For more information visit www.msq.qld.gov.au
