12 upvotes, 3 direct replies (showing 3)
View submission: Health reminder after the sky has fallen
In typical Melbourne fashion, it’s illegal but the penalties are not specified, see below. I also checked a few of the other government websites (EPA etc) and they didn’t shed any further light on the matter. Personally, given the levels of contamination atm, I wouldn’t be going near any of those beaches 😂
“Penalty for Swimming in Port Phillip Bay
According to the information provided, there are laws about the responsible use of personal watercrafts and jet skis under the Marine Safety Act 2010 (Vic) in Port Phillip Bay. However, the penalty for swimming when it is illegal in Port Phillip Bay is not explicitly stated.
The laws include that personal watercrafts and other vessels are not permitted to enter or remain in dedicated swimming-only zones. On-the-spot fines are applicable for operators found to be contravening these rules, but it does not specify the penalty for swimmers”.
Comment by Kitchu22 at 03/02/2025 at 03:04 UTC*
9 upvotes, 0 direct replies
What you are looking for is exclusion zones (under the Marine Safety Act 2010[1]), it's 60 penalty units (approx $11k currently) for a person or vessel to enter a dedicated exclusion zone without a reasonable excuse. Exclusion zones can be a result of short term planned activities, environmental protection, or long term creation of boating or swimming only areas.
1: https://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/vic/consol_act/msa2010145/
As is the case in most instances of enforcement, you will first be directed to leave by authorities, and then depending on the severity of your actions you may be issued an infringement notice under the local law.
[*Edited the penalty total, one unit is $192*]
Comment by canary_kirby at 03/02/2025 at 01:43 UTC
5 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Even if there is no penalty, making something illegal enlivens police powers powers to arrest. So they can arrest you and move you on to prevent you swimming in the prohibited area.
Comment by rmeredit at 03/02/2025 at 05:30 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
You're looking at State legislation. The chart specifically refers to local council bylaws.