There are requirements upon ports (just as for vessels and installations) to comply with a range of environmental regulations. Ports are hot spots for spills of oil and other pollutants.
The risk of spills of oil and other pollutants from ships into the marine environment is generally higher in ports than in other coastal areas due to the concentration of shipping and the transfer of cargoes and fuel that occur there.
The New Zealand Port and Harbour Marine Safety Code provides for the safe management of ships in ports and harbours. The code includes prevention of serious harm to people as well as protection of the marine environment.
The code sets national standards for harbour management, in order to:
New Zealand Port and Harbour Marine Safety Code
Marine protection rules require the owners of oil transfer sites to develop oil spill contingency plans to deal with unexpected discharges of oil. Oil transfer sites include any location where oil is loaded or unloaded from ships, as well as any location where there are refuelling facilities for ships.
Tankers discharge petroleum products in all the major ports in New Zealand. There are also numerous refuelling sites throughout the country. These range from large bunkering facilities in the main ports, to diesel and petrol pumps in most marinas and small harbours.
Responding to spills and pollution
Marine Protection Rule Part 130B – Oil transfer site marine oil spill contingency plans [PDF: 1,384Kb, 18 pages]
Marine protection rules also require the operators of ports to provide waste reception facilities for the transfer of harmful waste from ships, including oil, noxious liquid chemical substances and garbage.
Port waste reception facilities available at New Zealand ports
Marine Protection Rule Part 100 – Port Reception Facilities - Oil, Noxious Liquid Substances & Garbage [PDF: 893Kb, 14 pages]
