5.4. Aquatic Activity Zoning

This guideline outlines how zoning provides a beach management tool to isolate or separate activities that may be incompatible with the other activities or isolate hazards or activities that are required to be contained to a particular area.
There are two ways that zoning may be applied:

1. Confining a particular aquatic activity to a specific location
2. The segregation of activities that are a risk to other aquatic users.
   The activities that are most commonly zoned include:
   

• Swimming
• Body Boards
• Surf Craft
• Kite / Wind Surfing
• Power Craft (including the use of PWC’s and Skiing)
  

Marking Zoned Areas

Areas that have been zoned for a particular use (or to exclude certain activities) can be defined by using flags, signs or buoys.
Time zones can also be used as a management tool allowing or restricting specified activities to be conducted at prescribed times.

Establishing Zoned Areas

To establish a system of zoning the following steps may be appropriate:

1. Conduct a Risk Assessment to establish the need for zoning and the most appropriate methods for application.
2. Consultation with relevant stakeholders.
3. Establishment of a legislative framework (i.e. included in Local Laws).
4. Communication with user groups.
   

Monitoring of Zoned Areas

Once established, zoned areas will require a level on monitoring. Zoned areas usually require a level of “policing” to ensure compliance.