Mr Hitchcock’s annual report to the Central Otago District Council’s (CODC) community services meeting on Wednesday said Annan Creek had not been as popular with boat users last summer, because a large patch of lake weed that had grown over past years was now restricting the use of the southern side of the beach for boating.
Champagne Gully had also not been used much last summer. The spraying of lagarosiphon there still required "constant attention", but another reason for the lower use was freedom campers not moving on in the mornings, and leaving tents and vehicles along the beach where boat users used to set up their chairs, tables and barbecues.
However, in the Old Cromwell Historic Precinct area the amount of lagarosiphon had been reduced and conditions for boat users were better than they had been in many years, Mr Hitchcock said.
He said the behaviour of boat users last summer had generally been good, but 22 written warnings had been issued, mainly to new boat owners. The main offences were breaching the 50m rule, not travelling in the required anti-clockwise direction, under age operators of jet skis, vessels not keeping right, vessels not carrying an observer while towing, and vessels being inside a swimming area.
There had been an increase in jet ski and boat numbers but the attitude of jet ski operators had also "generally been good", Mr Hitchcock said.
The Bannockburn area had been very popular and could get very congested, and continuing education was important to avoid any safety risks.
Pisa Moorings was also being used more by boat users and some complaints had been received by fishermen. The area would need to be regularly patrolled as the increased activity "may cause concern in the future".
● A report on Land and Information New Zealand’s (Linz) latest round of herbicide control of lagarosiphon in Lake Dunstan was received by the committee.
Aerial and boat spraying had been done at high use areas on April 3 and 4.
The spraying followed weed cutting work done last November.
There were further plans to suction dredge some lagarosiphon around one of the lake’s jetties.
Linz was also trialling putting hessian on the bottom of Paddock Bay in Lake Wanaka to smother the weed and this was going well, Linz information said.
