Review of maritime sewage discharge regulations - invitation to comment
15 June 2009
Shipboard garbage: reducing the load
12 June 2009
New marine safety charges (MSC), ship registration and seafarer licensing fees
30 June 2009
Input sought on review of qualifications and operational limits
18 June 2009
Safe Seas Clean Seas - Issue #28
18 June 2009
Lookout! - Issue #13
17 June 2009
We consult widely with the maritime community and general public on a broad range of maritime interests. See below for what we are currently consulting on as well as those consultations that have now closed.
Consultation with the maritime community and general public is vital to ensure that any proposed changes or developments take into account the real situations of those they will affect.
Maritime New Zealand consults as widely as possible through public notices, discussion documents, public meetings and seminars, other face-to-face contact, this website, and toll-free phone lines.
In some cases, consultation is required under law. For example, public consultation on proposed rules is provided for in section 446 of the Maritime Transport Act. We draft maritime and marine protection rules and carry out public consultation on draft rules on behalf of the Minister of Transport.
You can have your say by providing us with comments until the comment deadline; after which they become closed consultations. Each consultation provides guidance on how to comment and what the deadline is. New consultations are added as they become available.
Maritime sewage discharge is currently regulated in New Zealand by the Resource Management (Marine Pollution) Regulations 1998 which applies to all boats, from small recreational boats to large cruise ships. Annex IV of the MARPOL Convention has been widely accepted as the benchmark for maritime sewage discharge standards and is currently being considered as a template for New Zealand. While these standards would apply only to large commercial vessels, there is increasing awareness of the potential for untreated sewage discharge from smaller vessels to affect the coastal environment and its users as well. With this in mind, the current regulations are under review to determine whether they have kept pace with the maritime sector and society’s expectations.
MNZ is gathering information on current practice in dealing with sewage on board ships, from recreational boats, ferries, tourist excursion craft, and ocean-going ships. We’re getting good information from organisations and individuals and are keen to hear from anyone who has views on this subject or information to offer, to help shape the subsequent policy development and formal consultation process.
If you would like to know more about the project, or want to make suggestions or comments, please contact the Environmental Research and Analysis team on 0508 22 55 22 or email us at enquiries@maritimenz.govt.nz.
Posted 15 June 2009
Maritime New Zealand is currently engaging with the fishing industry to learn more about how garbage is managed on boats. This work will help develop strategies to make garbage management easier and more effective and, ultimately, reduce the volume of garbage that is disposed of at sea. The results from this work will then be spread to the wider New Zealand boating community and will also be shared with the international maritime community as an example of good practice.
If you would like to know more about the project, or want to make suggestions or comments, please contact the Environmental Research and Analysis team on 0508 22 55 22 or email us at enquiries@maritimenz.govt.nz.
Posted 12 June 2009
Consultation documents will only be available here for up to six months after the comment period has expired.
Marine Protection Rules Part 200 - Invitation to comment [PDF: 625Kb, 42 pages]
Maritime Rule Part 80B - commercial rafting operations safety kayaks [PDF: 122Kb, 7 pages]
Maritime RulesPart 35 - Audits & Examinations [PDF: 137 Kb, 19 pages]
Maritime Rule Part 80B - commercial rafting operations [PDF: 317Kb, 46 pages]
If you require further information about a current or closed consultation, please contact the Maritime New Zealand representative listed in the consultation documents.
Questions and general enquiries about consultation on rules should be directed to:
rules.coordinator@maritimenz.govt.nz.
For general enquiries about our consultation process please contact Maritime New Zealand.