Unregistered jetskis now attract fines in the Western Bay of Plenty – the same as unregistered cars.

The driver of an unregistered jetski will be fined $200 – cheaper than an unregistered car.

At $53, registering them is cheaper than a car too, but Harbourmaster Peter Buell says only 220 jetskis are registered and there are hundreds left unregistered.

'At $53 dollars registering your ski is much cheaper than getting a fine, it's really easy to do online and the one off registration applies for all regions where this is a requirement. You have to draw a line in the sand somewhere and we are saying that January 1 is that line.

'Although many owners have registered their skis with other councils, we know there are hundreds more which are yet to comply.”

With the holidays just around the corner and the temperatures getting warmer Regional Councils Maritime Patrols are now on the water every weekend and they will ramp up this presence over the holiday period.

They are there to help promote safety on the water but can issue a Breach of Bylaw to those seen breaking the rules.

To register your Jetski simply visit www.boprc.govt.nz/pwc

The BOP Regional council has been promoting the new registration requirement for Bay of Plenty since October, says Peter.