About our Marine Pollution Response Service (MPRS)

Maritime New Zealand’s Marine Pollution Response Service (MPRS) is New Zealand’s lead national oil spill response agency. The MPRS is responsible for maintaining a nationwide capability to respond to marine oil spills.

Role of MPRS

• MPRS was formed during the 1990s to satisfy the OPRC Convention (1990) that requires all signatory countries to:
• have training and people in place to respond to regional marine based oil spills
• hold equipment ready for use during a marine oil spill
• have an exercising regime for these trained people and equipment
• have plans in place so that there is some preparation done before a spill occurs and;
• engage in regional cooperation with other like minded countries
• New Zealand signed the OPRC Convention in 1998

New Zealand has a three-tier response system. Those responsible for each tier are required to prepare contingency plans and a response capability appropriate to their respective levels of responsibility:

• Tier 1 – industry (ships and onshore/offshore oil transfer sites)
• Tier 2 – regional councils
• Tier 3 – MPRS on behalf of Maritime New Zealand.

The main aim of New Zealand’s marine spill and pollution response capability is to minimise the impact of pollution on the marine environment.

More about MPRS

MPRS’s team of response experts is based in Te Atatu, Auckland. This team is supported by Maritime New Zealand’s experts from around New Zealand. There are also about 400 trained personnel based within New Zealand’s 16 regions.

Responding to marine spills and pollution in New Zealand

Contact MPRS

MPRS Administrator
Maritime New Zealand
PO Box 45-209
Waitakere 0651
Telephone: +64 9 834-3908
Facsimile: +64 9 834-3907
E-mail: mprs@maritimenz.govt.nz