South Australian Recreational Boating Safety Strategy

We’re developing the first ever South Australian Recreational Boating Safety Strategy – a 5-year plan that focuses on improving safety for recreational boaters and others who share our State’s coastal and inland waters.

Why is the Strategy needed?

More and more boaters, jet ski riders, paddle boarders and other watercraft users are making the most of our coastal and inland waters. Unfortunately, incidents do occur.

In the last 20 years, 69 people lost their life on South Australian waterways while boating in powered and non-powered watercraft. There are many more cases of boaters who experienced near misses, accidents or required rescue after a trip went wrong.

We need a practical plan to create a safer future for everyone who enjoys our coastal and inland waters.

What are the next steps?

Consultation with the community and stakeholders was undertaken from Friday, 10 November 2023 to Friday, 5 January 2024, to help unearth issues and contribute to solutions that enhance safety across our coastline and waterways.

We will review and consider all feedback before developing a draft strategy.

Once ready, the draft strategy will be shared on the Department for Infrastructure and Transport’s Marine Safety SA website and community and stakeholders will be invited to provide their feedback via YourSAy.

Need further information?

Please contact the Department for Infrastructure and Transport Marine Safety SA Team by email at dit.MarineSafety@sa.gov.au or call 1300 183 046.