The Broads Authority would be granted new powers

Norwich North MP Ian Gibson has called for government funding to modernise the Broads Authority and maintain the waterways.

The Broads Authority Bill, which he claims will make the area safer, will now go to committee stage.

At present, boat owner tolls pay for maintenance, dredging, police patrols, moorings and tree clearance.

The Bill will combine navigation and general accounts so government money can help fund waterway maintenance.

New powers

The Broads Authority would be given powers to enforce safety rules to reduce the risk of fire and explosions.

Mr Gibson said that the authority's officers would be able to enter land to manage overhanging vegetation which can pose a hazard to navigation.

Activities such as water-skiing and wakeboarding would be better regulated and pollution from rogue boats controlled, he said.

Mr Gibson told MPs: "The main purpose of the Bill is to obtain new powers for the authority to improve safety for those boating on the Broads."

Bob Blizzard, MP for Waveney in Suffolk, said the "key issue" facing the Broads was the problem of dredging.