More than half of River Murray boaties break the rules, crackdown suggests

Marine Safety SA have issued warnings and fines to hundreds of boat users in an Australia Day long weekend blitz.

More than half of River Murray boaties break the rules, crackdown suggests
Marine safety authorities are not happy with the number of people failing to wear lifejackets or follow other rules on the River Murray. Photo: Marine Safety SA.

River Murray users have flunked a rules check by Marine Safety SA over the Australia Day long weekend.

Officers were happy with a majority of the boats they stopped on metropolitan beaches and the Yorke Peninsula over that period, but gave warnings or fines to more than half of the boats they stopped on the river.

Speeding, failing to carry safety equipment, going too close to swimmers and people operating a boat while unlicensed were the major concerns, according to Department for Infrastructure and Transport marine safety and compliance manager Gordon Panton.

“Our boating safety regulations are in place for a reason, and that’s to keep boaties, their passengers, and swimmers safe at all times, so it was disappointing to see some people across the River Murray and coastal waters doing the wrong thing,” he said.

Marine Safety SA stopped about 800 boats along the length of the river over the long weekend.


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