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Submissions called for on new boat cleaning rules

Issue date

Yachties and boaties should be aware of proposed new boat cleaning rules in the upper North Island and are encouraged to make submissions on the idea.

The Northland Council are running a two-month consultation on whether to develop shared rules on managing hull cleaning across the four biggest boating regions - Northland, Auckland, Waikato and the Bay of Plenty Toi Moana.

Options range from making it a requirement for boaties to have a clean hull at all times, only when moving or only when moving to specifically identified places.

Feedback closes on May 24 and Yachting New Zealand will be making a submission. The feedback will be used to decide whether to proceed with developing shared rules and, if that happens, there will be another chance to have your say through a formal consultation process. 

Northland Council biosecurity manager Don McKenzie said the four northern councils wanted to hear what their respective communities thought before advancing the hull cleaning initiative further.

"We'd like to encourage as many people as possible to take this unusual opportunity to have a say on a local authority issue that traverses several regions.” he told stuff.co.nz.

Biosecurity New Zealand manage national rules to minimise the risk of new pest species arriving on vessels from overseas, but the regulations for vessels moving around within coastal waters varies from region to region. As the movement of boats increases, so too does the risk of marine pests spreading.

With support from Biosecurity New Zealand, the four regional councils are exploring whether having hull-fouling rules that are applied consistently across several regions would be a better way forward.

Two information evenings have already been held, one in Orewa and the other at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, and others will be held at the Bucklands & Eastern Beaches Memorial Hall (April 10, 6.30pm-8.30pm) and Auckland Council Chambers, Henderson (May 2, 6.30pm-8.30pm).

See here for more information and to submit feedback.

- additional reporting stuff.co.nz