Lifejackets are now compulsory for all those on boats up to 6m in length on Lake Dunstan, following a review of the Lake Dunstan Navigation Safety Bylaws.
Central Otago District Council (CODC) councillors adopted the amended bylaw at their council meeting on Wednesday. The bylaws were evaluated as part of a 10-yearly review.
The previous bylaws said lifejackets must be on board, but it was up to the skipper whether they were worn.
The new bylaws take away that discretion, and mean the wearing of lifejackets is compulsory for occupants of boats up to 6m in length.
Lake Dunstan enforcement officer Shayne Hitchcock said he was pleased about the change, which he had sought. He said it would bring Lake Dunstan in line with many other areas around the country.
He was also pleased about a change to the area from Pisa Moorings to Bendigo. Now vessels there have to be 200m from the shore before they can exceed five knots.
Other questions considered whether there should be exclusive areas for jet skis and whether there should be more designated swimming areas.
Mr Hitchcock said jet skis were classed as boats and as such did not have exclusive areas; there was no change to the bylaws concerning that.
The boundaries of the nine existing swimming areas around Lake Dunstan would be reviewed, not directly through the new bylaws, but as a response to submissions received, Mr Hitchcock said.
A new swimming area was also being added before Christmas, under the Deadman's Point bridge.
But Mr Hitchcock said the most important thing he wanted to remind lake users of was the ``keep right rule''.
``It's the most basic one, and the most important.''
The same rule already applies to Lakes Wakatipu, Wanaka and Hawea.
