Skippers who drive boats dangerously could soon be prosecuted under changes to Northern Territory legislation.
NT Parliament passed a bill to amend the criminal code to make it an offence for dangerous navigation of a vessel causing death or serious harm.
If found guilty, boat drivers face a maximum penalty of seven years in prison if someone is seriously injured, or 10 years if someone is killed.
The NT Government said there was currently a legal loophole that has seen skippers involved in collisions avoid criminal charges.
The bill was supported by both sides of politics, however, independent MLA Gerry Wood said the Government should also consider enforcing penalties for drinking alcohol while driving a boat.
"Has the Government avoided this issue because obviously it's a bit of a hot potato?" the Member for Nelson told Parliament.
"Why have you left out the part that applies to a car?" he said.
"Which is you must operate under a certain blood alcohol level if you are driving a car but you're not willing to apply that to a person driving a boat?"
However, Attorney-General Natasha Fyles said it is not the appropriate bill for introducing breath testing for boat drivers.
"Any consideration of those issues would require looking at the Traffic Act or Marine Act and would have to be workable and necessary from the police perspective," Ms Fyles said.
Ms Fyles said the changes would bring the NT in line with other states and territories and would mirror the motor vehicle offence of dangerous driving causing death or serious harm.
The Northern Territory has some of the highest rates of boat ownership per capita in Australia but unlike all other jurisdictions, drivers do not need to be licensed or registered.
