Personal watercraft (PWC) restricted and prohibited zones
There are rules and locations for using personal watercraft on NSW waterways. Here's what you need to know.
Respecting zones
To keep everyone safe, there are exclusion and restriction zones for personal watercraft (PWC) on NSW waterways.
You must not drive a PWC in an 'exclusion zone'.
You can drive a PWC in a 'restriction zone' but there are rules for the way you drive it within that location.
Penalties apply if rules are broken.
Restriction zones in NSW
Learn the rules and locations where PWC are 'restricted' in NSW.
Rules for restriction zones
In restriction zones, PWC must not be used for 'irregular driving' within 200m of a river bank or shore.
This means they must be operated generally in a straight line within 200m of the shoreline.
Examples of irregular driving are:
- driving in a circle or other pattern
- weaving or diverting
- surfing down or jumping over or across, any swell, wave or wash.
If rules are broken penalties apply.
Locations of restriction zones
In NSW PWC restriction zone rules apply to these waters (including tributaries):
- Avoca Lake
- Botany Bay
- Brisbane Water
- Broken Bay Bulbararing Lagoon
- Cockrone Lagoon
- Cooks River
- Dee Why Lagoon
- Georges River
- Hawkesbury River
- Manly Reservoir
- Manly Lagoon
- Narrabeen Lakes
- Nepean River
- Port Hacking
- Prospect Reservoir
- Terrigal Lagoon
- Wamberal Lagoon
- Woronora River
Sydney Harbour exclusion zone
You must not drive a PWC anywhere on Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour).
This includes its tidal bays, rivers and tributaries, Parramatta River, Middle Harbour and Lane Cove River.
It includes all of those waters bounded by the high water mark and lying to the west of a line from the southernmost point of North Head to the northernmost point of South Head.
PWC are not permitted to be driven in the exclusion zone at any time, unless exempt. Penalties apply if rules are broken.
Prohibited areas in NSW
There are other NSW areas where PWC use is prohibited. PWC must not be driven in these areas at any time, unless exempt.
Check relevant boating maps for details. Penalties apply if rules are broken.
No PWC are permitted:
- Upstream of Lake Lismore on the Wilsons River.
- Cape Byron Marine Park which includes Brunswick Heads South to Lennox Point
No power boating including PWC (but excepting electric powered vessels) is permitted:
- Southern and western side of Ukerebagh Island
- Kerosene Inlet (opposite Tweed Hospital)
- Wommin Lake (Fingal)
- Wommin Lagoon (Fingal)
- Cudgen Lake
No PWC are permitted:
- Bonville Creek (all of its waters)
- Corindi River (upstream from boat ramp)
- Coffs Creek entrance (a signposted 'No powerboat' area)
No PWC are permitted:
- Trial Bay (Gaol area) – No power boating including PWC in an area extending from the Arakoon camping area foreshore bordered by 3 yellow buoys indicating NO PWC or powered vessels
- Manning Region
- Knappinghat Creek
- No restrictions
No PWC are permitted:
- Sydney Harbour exclusion zone
- Botany Bay – Yarra Bay, Frenchmans Bay, Congwong and Little Congwong beaches
- Port Hacking – Darook Park
Under the Marine Estate Management (Management Rules) Regulation 1999, no PWCs are permitted in Jervis Bay Marine Park Sanctuary Zones unless:
- the personal watercraft is transiting directly to or from the location where it was launched,
and - the personal watercraft is being used in such a manner as not to exceed a speed of 10 knots.
See Jervis Bay Marine Park for more information and zoning map.
Transport for NSW is conducting PWC ‘no go’ zone trials in the Eurobodalla area. The prohibited zones in place are:
- Durras area – South Durras prohibited zone and Durras Lake speed restricted area allowing access to the boat ramp. Durras area PWC map (PDF 49.61KB)
- Broulee Bay – Prohibited zone areas to include Broulee Beach, Tomakin Beach, Tomakin Cove with PWC restricted to a narrow speed restricted channel allowing access to the boat ramp at Mossy Point on the Tomaga River. Broulee Bay PWC map (PDF 54.29KB)
- Tuross Lake – A prohibited zone, with PWC restricted to a narrow channel between the boat ramp at Tuross Head and the open ocean with an 8-knot speed restriction. Tuross Lake PWC map (PDF 56.8KB)
- Batemans Bay – PWC excluded from Cullendulla Creek. Batemans Bay PWC map (PDF 188.96KB)