The growing number of small boats chasing game fish out of Greymouth is a disaster waiting to happen, West Coast Regional Chair Peter Haddock is warning. 

Concerns over water and boating safety sparked discussion at the council on Tuesday over the lack of a Harbourmaster, for the Grey District. 

Mr Haddock said the tuna season had brought an influx of small boats to Greymouth. 

“It’s great to see so many recreational boats coming in , there were about 40 the other day. But some actually got caught in the storm there when weather cut up recently and it took over six hours for some to get back in. “ 

The gamefishers had made it back to port by tucking in behind one of the local fishing trawlers, Mr Haddock said. 

“Some were pretty small … the weather can change really badly out there …it really is a disaster waiting to happen. “ 

Cr Peter Ewen asked Chief Executive Darryl Lew who was responsible for the port. 

He had concerns about the ‘fairweather’ boaties coming to Greymouth from the east coast, he said. 

“They go fishing on other side and they come here and there’s a bar harbour. Some would be a bit awestruck if they were in the wrong position in the wrong weather. “ 

Greymouth had no rescue boat at the port, Cr Ewen noted. 

“And last time I looked I looked we didn’t have any amphibious St John ambulance service.” 

Mr Lew said the Regional Council had no statutory responsibility to have a harbourmaster in Greymouth because only smaller boats used the port. 

In Westport, where a large minerals barge would operate, the WCRC had delegated the responsibility for a harbourmaster to the Buller District Council. 

But in Greymouth, the port was run by a Grey District Council manager with commercial responsibilities only. 

Harbourmasters had different responsibilities, as regulators of ship movements and safety, Mr Lew said. 

They also had a third role, to regulate safety on lakes, and he had been speaking with the Maritime Safety Authority recently about Lake Brunner. 

“We’ve have had some recent communication with the community and MSA highlighting some concerns about boating especially at Brunner - speedboats, jet skis, kayakers, fishers, and swimmers… we’re thinking about this.” 

Council chair Peter Haddock said in the past there had been honorary launch wardens at Lake Brunner with the ability to fine boaties for speeding or getting too close to shore. 

That could be investigated for the future, he suggested. 

Mr Lew said he was discussing the issues with the Grey and Buller CEOs and would report back on the options. 

- LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

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