Port Stephens jet-ski restrictions may displace activity to nearby beaches

An evaluation by Transport for NSW regarding powered vessel exclusion zones in Port Stephens suggests that jet-ski restrictions may have displaced activity to adjacent areas. Data from the trial showed that while the average number of personal watercraft within 30 metres of shore fell by 56 per cent at trial beaches, the number rose by 54.6 per cent at nearby control beaches.

Further out, within 90 metres, watercraft numbers fell by 53.4 per cent at trial sites but increased by 34.9 per cent at control locations. While safety incident flags rose significantly at both types of locations, evaluators noted the sample size was too small to draw firm conclusions regarding collisions.

The report noted “some anecdotal evidence” of displacement but stated there was “no systematic data” to confirm large-scale movement. Instead, the findings pointed toward “perimeter clustering,” where vessels position themselves just beyond the edges of the exclusion zones.