What would be awesome to see would be some far sighted councils building fishing piers to cater for the huge % of the population who like to fish and the kids that don't have dads etc with boats. Trouble is that the Council would have to spend $huge on issuing themselves with environmental permits and dealing with all bureaucratic requirements before they could spend the $'s to build a fishing wharf. Fortunately that wasn't the deal many years back so there is still the occasional wharf you can fish off until the council decides that they don't want to maintain it or there is some liability that they don't want to be responsible for.

I think people would be all ok if you had to come in on the end pontoons if you got them to wind their lines in. I don't think I have ever parked on the end pontoons either - always waited until there is a space on the inner ones. 

Kids fishing, swimming & "bombing", refusing to allow boats to dis-embark passengers, claiming they were there "first".

Not sure how it was handled beyond signs being put up.

Tagit's idea of a fishing jetty has much merit..

Maybe the likes of the Port of Tauranga could provide some dosh towards one seeing as they closed down all access to their wharfs

??

Most boaties head in and out without parking on these outside jetties.

 

Most of the fishing I see there are kids and I am all for encouraging kids to fish and swim here as there are bugger all other locations for them to recreate.

 

I think we need to share the limited resources we have, and stop trying to claim the jetty just for one group (boaties). 

 

I would rather see people fishing here than wandering around town sniffing glue or doing other ****.

Over the years I have had issues in various places with jetty fisherman getting upset when I needed to use the jetty for landing or fuel etc. Usually a bunch of abuse and maybe the odd threatening gesture as you approach. I am quite happy to share the infrastructure, just let me come in and out for a few minutes when I need to without anyone getting all agro. The issue I think comes when the jetty fisherman have unobstructed access and start to feel 'ownership' of the space. 

Maybe the Tauranga council instead of putting up No Fishing signs could instead put up signs saying that boats have first rights to use the jetty space and fishermen must wind in and move to make space if required. That at least makes it clear to all that a boat needing space to dock has priority. Most of us would probably do that as a natural courtesy, but there are plenty out there who would rather 'defend their perceived rights'. I think that would be a really good experiment to see if well worded signage would allow good cohabitation. 

Kids climbing on launches to jump from the top & leaping in in front of boats that are coming in to berth.

It's a damn shame that local authority's don't cater for the kids in that respect.

Fishing only wharfs like that at Brighton, Christchurch & bombing wharfs would go a long way to keeping everyone happy.

When there's nothing provided, the kids make their own fun & you can't blame them.

 I dont think the bureaucracy of a local council.. well anyone, would go down such a route .. Just got to consider the attendance of  life savers, and the number on dty at a council in door swimming pool facility..

 And  even then the slightest thing go wrong, the resulting trial by social media BS.

I'm not so sure swimming is a good idea especially when there are boats and propellers in the water. Boats have plenty of blind spots and you would never see a kid who just swum underneath the pontoon when you are coming along side. 

Two recent instances that have happened to me that makes me against it which is typical of a few ruining it for everyone. 

1. I was coming back in from a mornings fishing and there were two guys taking up half of the only pontoon with chilly bins, chairs and tackle boxes plus bait all over the pontoon itself. Neither of them pulled in their lines for me to come alongside the most accessible side of the pontoon. I pulled the boat forward as far as I could and tied it off out of their way while I went and got the trailer. Which is were the second issue became apparent. They had backed their car right up to the start of the pontoon partially blocking both of the narrow lanes. I only just managed to squeeze through but the guys fishing off the pontoon had zero interest in moving the car.

2. Again coming back in after a mornings fishing and there were a couple of kids swimming in the ramp who totally ignored boats trying to come in that side of the pontoon as well as trailers being backed into where they were swimming making any boat who tried to use that lane have to take the boat back out and around the other side of the pontoon. The thing that really got me was that the kids parents were watching from a distance while the kids swam in Gumboots of all things. This ramp has a lot of current which can make it difficult to come along side at times and the ignorance of the parents quite possibly could have killed their children if they had happened to get caught in the current. Surely the kids could have just swum at the beach were the playground is 100m away?