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Navigation safety bylaw
Environment Waikato’s navigation safety bylaw has been revised and applies from 1 July 2009. The revision replaces the 2006 bylaw. It covers such matters as lifejackets, speed restrictions, navigation lights and reporting collisions. Site specific schedules apply in certain areas.
See Navigation safety bylaw to view the full bylaw.
Key points
- People on board vessels under six metres must wear a lifejacket or personal flotation device (PFD) at all times unless the skipper decides there are no risks and tells people they can take off their lifejackets or PFDs.
- Skippers are responsible for having an appropriate means of communication on board that enables communication with land based and/or seaborne parties from any point within the area the vessel will be operated. For vessels less than six metres, the means of communication must be able to be operated following submersion in sea water.
- From 1 July 2010, display of a vessel name or similar identifying mark will be required for mechanically power driven vessels of four metres and above and non-mechanically powered vessels of six metres and above. Smaller vessels will need to be marked with emergency contact details and/or the owner’s name or contact details.
- Kayaks and other paddle craft are advised to use measures to increase visibility to other vessels, such as using a chopper flag or a constant white light at night.
- Keep your vessel serviceable and operational if it is anchored or moored (note - if it is a hazard, council may take action to remove it).
- Do not moor or anchor in a navigational channel or obstruct access to any jetty or wharf.
- Do not obstruct the navigation of any waterway (including by fishing nets).
- If you have a collision you must notify Maritime New Zealand and the harbourmaster.
- Do not tie up to or damage any navigational aids.
- You must be older than 15 years to drive a powered vessel that is capable of travelling faster than 10 knots.
- You must not go faster than 5 knots if any person has any portion of their body hanging over the edge of the boat.
- If you are skiing there must also be a lookout person older than 10 years also in the vessel or on the jet ski.
- No skiing between sunset and sunrise.
- You need to complete a temporary event application for activities on the water such as races, speed trials or competitions if you are unable to comply with the bylaw provisions during the event or need to reserve an area for the event.
- Moorings must be registered with council and meet safety requirements.
- Every personal water craft (jet skis) must be registered with the council to operate in the waters of the Waikato region.
- Site specific schedules apply in certain areas.
- You can apply to Environment Waikato for an exemption from specific bylaw provisions in special circumstances.
- For up to date bar crossing conditions contact the appropriate harbourmaster or your local coastguard unit.
Where the bylaw applies
Environment Waikato is responsible for managing navigation safety functions in all navigable waters within the Waikato Regional Council boundaries except Lake Taupo (to the top of Huka Falls). This is managed by the Department of Internal Affairs.
Lake Taupo bylaw
Find out about the draft Lake Taupo Navigation Safety Bylaw 2009.
Site specific schedules apply in certain areas. The schedules include zones (for example for moorings and jetskiing), water ski and access lanes and areas for recreation activities.
Reporting accidents
Report any recreational or commercial accident/ incident to Maritime New Zealand.
Notices to mariners
The Notices to mariners are produced fortnightly by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), who are the authority for correcting New Zealand nautical charts.
New Zealand notices to mariners also:
- detail corrections to be made to authoritative nautical publications such as the LINZ Hydrographic Charts and the NZ Nautical Almanac
- notify the publication, withdrawal or cancellation of New Zealand nautical charts and nautical publications
- notify changes to the NZ Mariner (LINZ Raster Navigation Chart folio)
- notify the publication, release or withdrawal of British Admiralty nautical publications covering the New Zealand area of charting responsibility, such as the New Zealand Pilot (NP51).
Mariners are reminded to routinely monitor broadcast warnings, these can provide more timely access to important navigation safety information.
Mariners are requested to immediately inform the local harbourmaster and/or LINZ Hydrographic Services of the discovery of new or suspected dangers to navigation, or shortcomings in charts and publications. Use this link to report a hazard to navigation.
More general information is available on Notices to Mariners as published in the New Zealand Nautical Almanac 2006/07 (NZ204).
To view notices to mariners for the following areas, click on the links below:
Find other notices to mariners not listed above.
Mooring consents
All moorings with the Waikato coastal marine area and inland waterways are classified as structures and require a resource consent. For further information on moorings in the Waikato Region call 0800 800 401.
Visit our resource consents section to find out more about mooring consents.
More information
We have a number of publications about navigation safety, which you can order online.
Personal Water Craft Information Sheet
(1177 kb, 168 seconds to download, 56k modem)
Find out about district council and harbourmaster contacts in our region.
View the content of the Navigation safety bylaw online. For general queries relating to the bylaw and its implementation, contact Shelley Monrad on Environment Waikato’s freephone 0800 800 401.
See the following websites for more general information about water safety:
Check out the Navigation Safety bylaws of other regions before you hit the water!