Recreational Boating Safety Strategy

This consultation has concluded, thank you for your contribution.

Help make South Australia's coastal and inland waters safer.

What's being decided?

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.

To ensure our plans are effective and inclusive we need input from:

  • the South Australian community
  • industry partners
  • recreational boating stakeholders
  • Australian marine safety agencies and
  • local government.

Your feedback will help unearth issues and contribute to solutions that enhance safety across our coastline and waterways. The more input we get, the better equipped we'll be to create positive change.

Background

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.

Get involved

Find out more:

  • Read the detailed Background Paper for details on South Australian coastline and waterways usage including information on incidents, rescues, lifejacket usage, types of watercraft used and licence types.

Have your say by:

  • completing the survey
  • asking us a question or leaving a comment in our Questions tool below.

What are the next steps?

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 feedback. Other relevant information, including updates, will also be available on this page.

The final strategy is expected to be released at the end of 2024.

Help make South Australia's coastal and inland waters safer.

What's being decided?

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.

To ensure our plans are effective and inclusive we need input from:

  • the South Australian community
  • industry partners
  • recreational boating stakeholders
  • Australian marine safety agencies and
  • local government.

Your feedback will help unearth issues and contribute to solutions that enhance safety across our coastline and waterways. The more input we get, the better equipped we'll be to create positive change.

Background

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.

Get involved

Find out more:

  • Read the detailed Background Paper for details on South Australian coastline and waterways usage including information on incidents, rescues, lifejacket usage, types of watercraft used and licence types.

Have your say by:

  • completing the survey
  • asking us a question or leaving a comment in our Questions tool below.

What are the next steps?

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 feedback. Other relevant information, including updates, will also be available on this page.

The final strategy is expected to be released at the end of 2024.

This consultation has concluded, thank you for your contribution.

  • Consultation update

    South Australia's Recreational Boating Safety Strategy

    Consultation has concluded. Thank you for your contribution.

    Outcome

    Consultation from 10 November 2023 to 5 January 2024 helped to:

    • unearth issues
    • contribute to solutions that enhance safety across our coastline and waterways.

    The following provided valuable input in developing the Priority Areas paper:

    • feedback from more than 1,600 community members and interested organisations
    • supporting evidence.

    The paper detailed five priority areas for recreational boating safety to guide us through to 2030.

    Read the What We Heard report for stage 1 consultation (PDF, 5.5 MB).

    Second consultation period

    A second consultation period was held from 2 August 2024 to 6 September 2024.

    Feedback from more than 1,100 community members and interested organisations provided valuable input in developing the final Strategy.

    Final strategy

    We released South Australia's Recreational Boating Safety Strategy 2025-2030 in January 2025.

    The strategy is a five-year plan that focuses on improving safety for recreational boaters and others who share our state's coastal and inland waters.

    We will continue to collaborate with marine safety partners and the community to progress these actions.

    Read the strategy

    Visit the Marine Safety SA website to read the Strategy.

    Questions

    If you have any questions, please contact DIT.MarineSafety@sa.gov.au