Every year, an average of 37 people drown in New Zealand's waterways over summer, and the government is directing an additional $848,000 toward boating safety initiatives in a bid to drive that number down.
Around $75,000 of that total has been allocated to regional councils to carry out compliance checks on the water, with the remaining funds spread across 30 community education projects. Those projects focus on small boat users, people engaged in close-to-shore activities, and groups that are over-represented in drowning statistics.
Associate Transport Minister James Meager described drownings as preventable tragedies, saying the government wanted fewer families to have to go through that experience. "The local funding stretches from the top of Northland right down to the bottom of Southland, ensuring all parts of New Zealand can strengthen community-led safety initiatives, support bar-crossing education, and enhance regional compliance capability throughout the busy summer season," he said.
Meager also named two specific recipients. "Watersafe Auckland Inc has been allocated $43,000 to deliver water safety education at high-traffic boat ramps across Auckland, while Queenstown Lakes District Council's $10,000 grant will fund a programme aimed to recreational craft operators at inland waterways," he said.
He identified lifejacket wearing as the number one way of reducing harm on the water, encouraging all New Zealanders to wear one while out on a boat.
The funding comes from fuel excise paid by recreational boat owners.
