Radio Safety Reminder

The Queenstown Lakes District habourmaster has issued a reminder about safe radio channel use on Lake Wakatipu.

“Around three years ago Council installed a new radio repeater on top of Cecil Peak to ensure coverage across the whole of Lake Wakatipu,” QLDC harbourmaster Marty Black said.

The investment was to enhance the safety of all users.

“It means that all boaties should be communicating through channel 5,’ Mr Black said.

Although channel 16 was the international distress channel, it was only a ‘simplex’ channel, which meant, despite it being the emergency channel it could only be picked up in line of site on Lake Wakatipu.

That was why Council invested in the repeater.

Mr Black was concerned at feedback he had received that some boaties were continuing to use channel 16 for day to day communications, despite the poor coverage and despite it being illegal to use the channel for anything other than an emergency.

“Some operators have expressed concerns that if a visiting boatie to the area calls on channel 16, if they are in distress no-one would hear the call. We have to try and educate all users,” he said.

All operators should be scanning two channels on their radios, the main working channel, channel marine 5 and the emergency channel 16.

He was aware that a number of operators already had this dual system in place, as well as the office of the harbourmaster and the coastguard.

“Coming into the busy summer season all radio users on Lake Wakatipu are asked for their co-operation to help ensure everyone’s safety,” Mr Black said.

If anyone had any queries or concerns they could contact the harbourmaster’s office.