Tag: Maritime NZ

Maritime New Zealand fined a skipper $3,500, after the mussel barge, Falcon, ran aground on Motuokino Island off the Coromandel coast because no one on board was keeping proper look out.

Maritime New Zealand announced $844,249 in funding for 22 safer boating initiatives throughout New Zealand with the aim to reduce recreational boating fatalities and injuries.

Fullers Group has been ordered to pay $68.336, in reparation to two victims after four passengers were injured, one suffering serious head injuries, when the passenger ferry Kea collided with Devonport wharf.

Following the COVID-19 crisis and the crew change matter that has presented within the shipping community, Maritime New Zealand designated seafarer welfare representatives as "essential workers".

A Wellington-based fishing company, its sole director, and a master were fined a total of $449,500 over the sinking of the grossly overloaded fishing boat 'Victory II' in June 2017. The company was also ordered to pay $64,800 in reparation to the crew for unpaid wages and emotional harm.

On the aftermath of an eye injury involving chemicals onboard, the Maritime NZ issued a reminder to operators of their duties to identify ‘reasonably foreseeable risks’, and to control these risks 'as far as practicable’, in line with the Health and Safety at Work Act. 

Maritime New Zealand officially announced that the Buller District Council joined the national compliance "No Excuses" campaign. Specifically, the campaign focuses on recreational boaties not carrying or wearing lifejackets and those who speed on the water.

The recently released Maritime NZ annual report suggests that Maritime fatalities in New Zealand have almost halved since 2015. Adding to this, 20 people were killed in New Zealand ports and harbors in the financial year ending 2019, compared to 35 in 2014–15. Only four of these were involved a commercial operation, with the rest being recreational.

With respect to the recent figures on boating safety, Maritime NZ stressed that waterproof communications can save a life: An estimated 59% of recreational boating fatalities involve inadequate communications, and only 40% of boaties report having two ways to call for help every time they go on the water.

Most recreational boaties in New Zealand continue to be highly safety conscious when they go on the water, but 20% still report that they wear a lifejacket either never, not very often or only some of the time, according to figures released by Maritime New Zealand on the occasion of Safer Boating Week.