Harbourmaster

Greater Wellington Harbour's main role is to ensure navigational safety.

We provide safe and efficient maritime management for commercial and recreational users of our region's waters.

We operate a 24-hour harbour communication station, operate and maintain navigation aids in the region, manage mooring areas and respond to marine oil spills.

The waters of our region extend from the Otaki River in the west to the Mataikona River north of Castlepoint in the east.

Amended Navigation and Safety Bylaws

At its meeting on Monday 9 March 2009 the Council amended the Wellington Regional Navigation and Safety Bylaws 2003. The amendments include changes that better reflect current practice, are in line with changes to Maritime Rules and which have come from the Port and Harbour risk assessment as well as clarification of some parts of the previous Bylaws.

The Bylaws went to public consultation last year and a hearing was held in December 2008 where the Bylaws were further refined.

These amendments took effect on Wednesday 1 July 2009.

A4 copies of the Bylaws can be downloaded here or paper copies are available from the Regional Council Centre, 142-146 Wakefield Street, Wellington and from Greater Wellington's office at 34 Chapel Street, Masterton.

National Boating Safety Strategy

Maritime New Zealand and the National Pleasure Boat Safety Forum have just released an overview of the Boating Safety Strategy. This outlines past development and current thinking on recreational boating safety, with analysis of past accidents and a plan to move forward to improve boating safety.

It also discusses some of the issues that are frequently suggested, such as boat registration and skipper licencing.

It is a brief overview and well worth reading, as this is an indicator of possible future maritime rule and bylaw changes.

406 MHz EPIRB

The monitoring of Emergency Indicating Radio Beacons has changed, for information on these click here to go to our EPIRB page

121.5MHz and 243 MHz beacons are no longer monitored.

Scuttling trawlers in the Cook Strait

Check out a You Tube video of the Harbours team scuttling (sinking) two rusting trawlers - Szap8 and James Cook - in deep water in the Cook Strait.

The trawlers had been abandoned by the previous owners and posed a hazard to navigational safety. The Harbours team removed all material from the trawlers that would be a threat to the marine environment, then waited for a calm day for the scuttling, which took place in December 2007.