Girl in canoe wearing lifejacket. Photo: 123RF
The Associate Transport Minister says he's willing to look into what advocates call a common sense approach to lifejacket wearing.
A coroner has suggested a consistent, nationwide law - making it compulsory for people to wear lifejackets on small vessels. It's a move Water Safety NZ says would save lives.
It comes after findings a mother and her young son would have had better chances of surviving a capsizing, if they been wearing them.
The pair were on a scalloping trip in Auckland's Manukau Harbour when the boat skippered by the woman's partner was hit by a wave and overturned, leaving them and two friends onboard clinging to the hull for hours.
It was November 2022, and while the two friends swam for more than two hours to shore for help, the trio briefly found safety on a sandbar before falling into deep water again. None of them were wearing lifejackets or had cellphones within reach when the boat flipped.
Tragically, Gemma Ferregel and her 10-year-old son Ryder drowned, and her partner Kevin McQuire treaded water until he was rescued.
Associate Transport Minister James Meager told Morning Report he'll ask officials to look at a members bill proposed by fellow MP Cameron Brewer making lifejackets compulsory for under 16s, and see if it can be applied across the country.
"Traditionally, the waterways have been controlled by the local harbourmasters and councils, and they get to set variations on rules depending on their local situation," he said.
"But, a consistent rule across the country, if there's appetite for it, if it demonstrates that there would be real safety benefits, it's something we could look at."
Associate Transport Minister James Meager. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Meager said people needed to make the right decisions while out on the water.
"Maritime New Zealand invests quite a significant amount of money into boat safety education campaigns, and just making sure that, when we're out on the water, we always wear lifejackets, we have waterproof ways of calling for help, we check the forecast - those simple things can really improve our boat safety record."
"But, in terms of a nationally consistent rule, we're going to be getting there with Cameron Brewer's bill, and it's certainly something that I will ask officials to look at and see whether we can use his bill as a way to make that consistent across the country."
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