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Maritime New Zealand invited stakeholders to comment on the revised draft guidelines for rental paddle craft on the Whanganui River.
Please review the draft document provided below.
Revised draft guidelines - rental paddle craft on Whanganui River [PDF: 136Kb, 10 pages]
The deadline for making a submission was 1 May 2011.
The revised draft guidelines have been prepared by Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) based, on the Sea Kayak Operators Association of New Zealand (SKOANZ) guidelines for commercial sea kayak rentals. The advice on Tikanga o Whanganui is provided by a collective of Whanganui river iwi brought together by the Whanganui River Maori Trust Board.
The revised draft guidelines are for commercial operators who hire and provide paddle craft and equipment to the public for overnight river journeys, and include advice on Tikanga o Whanganui, legal requirements and good safety practice. This revised draft takes into account comments received on the initial draft guidelines issued in November 2010. The revision includes new guidance on inclement weather, floods, and high water level cut-off levels, and screening of participants. It also covers emergency communication for each craft.
The revised draft guidelines will become one of a series of MNZ safety guidelines for commercial kayaking and canoeing, covering both guided and rental operations.
Separate guidelines for Whanganui River rentals are considered appropriate given the special features of journeys on this river: the remoteness; the type of craft commonly used, the Canadian-style open canoe; and the importance of Tikanga o Whanganui.
