Maritime Radio

Maritime New Zealand is responsible for maintaining VHF and HF radio services for New Zealand's coastal waters and the South Pacific, providing around-the-clock monitoring of VHF and HF distress channels.

The region covered by the New Zealand Distress and Safety Radio Service is known as NAVAREA XIV, covering 12.5% of the earth's ocean surface. It extends from mid-Tasman to mid-Pacific, and from Antarctica to the Equator.

The service provided by Maritime NZ is complemented by a network of volunteer private radio operators around New Zealand and its offshore islands.

The radio network is monitored by people located at the Maritime Operations Centre (MOC) in Lower Hutt on a 24-7 basis. the MOC is also responsible for the broadcast of Maritime Safety Information within the NAVAREA. Maritime safety information includes meteorological information, navigational warnings and ionosphereic prediction warnings.

Maritime NZ own and maintain one third of the Maritime radio network with the remainder being provided for and maintained by Kordia.