With the weather getting warmer and warmer each day, boaties and harbour masters are floating the idea of introducing boat licences so that everyone can be safe on the water.
There are an estimated 1.5 million boats in New Zealand, which means harbours and marinas are likely to become highways.
And boats appear to be the last bastion of freedom, with Kiwis able to buy a boat and immediately hit the water.
Fisherman Geoff Lamond has a licence to drive his car and believes the time is right to introduce one for boating.
“You only need to be at a marina or a boat ramp in New Zealand during summer, and you stand there with your popcorn and see all sorts going on,” he told Seven Sharp.
“And that's before they've even got out on the water.”
He believes it will make things safer.
“We've seen people on the rocks. We've seen people lose their lives. It's getting pretty serious when you start talking about that."
It's not a new idea - New South Wales is trying it - requiring boaties to fill out an online test before getting their licences.
They don't want a licence to be a barrier to boating and think the basics could even be taught at school.
“It only needs to be a few hours a year. We're a nation of ocean goers, we've got lakes and rivers, and a lot of people enjoy boating, so let's have a little bit of formal education so people know how to do it safely,” Peter Busfield from the NZ Marine Industry Association said.
Lamond said: "It's the Kiwi way to use the family boat during summer, and when you start thinking about families and people getting hurt, it's a no-brainer as far as I'm concerned.”
Currently, there is no legislation to support the scheme, but Waikato Regional Harbourmaster Chris Bredenbeck said a lot of the groundwork is already there.
“We’re already dealing with compliance on the waterways, and it would just be another addition to out toolkit,” he said.
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