Moorings and marinas
Moorings
Mooring sites are located within Mooring Management Areas throughout the Northland region. The Regional Council allocates a site and issues a permit that is renewed on payment of an annual fee.
You can get a mooring either by purchasing an existing mooring or by applying for a resource consent to lay a mooring outside a Mooring Management Area.
The Regional Coastal Plan for Northland sets out specially designated mooring areas. Inside these areas, applications for new moorings are normally granted provided there is suitable space and water depth, and the design of the mooring meets the Council’s design specification requirements. Outside these areas, more stringent environmental requirements apply and resource consent for a new mooring is more difficult to obtain.
Please note that new moorings in a number of areas in Northland are prohibited.
We recommend that you contact us to discuss your application before you lodge it. This will help make sure you provide the right information so we can process the application as quickly as possible.
The application fee for resource consent will depend on the location of the mooring. This fee depends largely on whether the application will have to be notified or not.
Should resource consent be granted, an annual fee will apply.
In addition to the cost of processing the resource consent application, there will be the cost of having the mooring constructed and installed by one of the Council-approved mooring contractors listed below.
Please contact them for a quote to do this work.
Harbour Marine Services
Contact: Hylton Edmonds
Address: PO Box 50, Ōpua 0290
Phone: 09 403 8060
Mobile: 0274 874 101
Fax: 09 403 8060
Email: hms@tapupoint.co.nz
SeaNorth Ltd
Contact: Robert Burling
Address: PO Box 1004, Kerikeri 0470
Phone: 09 407 3554
Mobile: 027 454 3359
Fax: 09 407 4554
Email: info@seanorth.co.nz
Moorings Northland
Contacts: Vicky Shilvock or Shane Hunniford
Address: PO Box 22, Ōpua 0241
Phone: 09 402 6939
Mobile: 0274 998 060
Email: mooringsnorthland@xtra.co.nz
From time to time, existing moorings holders want to sell their mooring. While the Council does not operate a system for people to register an interest in buying or selling a mooring, this practice is actively encouraged as a way of reducing the number of applications for new moorings.
Check the following places for moorings advertised for sale:
- Trade Me website: www.trademe.co.nz;
- 'for sale' or 'boating' classified section of local newspapers;
- the window or noticeboard of the local dairy; and
- the noticeboard of the local boating or yacht club.
Additionally, one of our mooring contractors, Moorings Northland, has recently started to keep a list of people buying and selling moorings.
If you buy a mooring from someone else, you must complete a Transfer Form.
Transferring a mooring
Mooring licenses and/or coastal permits are transferable, but please note the following conditions:
- The mooring will not be transferred unless it has a current mooring inspection certificate, or the new owner states (in writing) arrangements have been made for the mooring to be lifted and inspected by a Council-approved mooring contractor.
- The new owner must be satisfied the size and design of the mooring is sufficient to cope with the vessel they intend to place on it. If the new vessel is larger than the one previously occupying the mooring, advance permission must be sought from the Regional Harbourmaster’s Office before the mooring can be used.
- The new owner must ensure the mooring is far enough away from other moorings so as not to endanger or interfere with other moored vessels. If there is any uncertainty, please seek advice from the Regional Harbourmaster’s Office or from the mooring contractor.
- If the Mooring Licence and/or Coastal Permit are held by a number of parties, written approval from all of the parties who jointly hold the Mooring Licence and/or Coastal Permit is required.
- A transfer is not complete until the transfer fee is paid and all registered mooring owners (if more than one person) have signed this transfer notice. Until a transfer is complete, the existing Mooring Owner(s) is fully responsible for all conditions and obligations of the Mooring Licence and Coastal Permit, including payment of all due charges.
Sub-leasing a mooring
Moorings may be rented out. However, it’s important the Council is advised of this and given details of the vessel that will be using the mooring. The person renting the mooring must also ensure that the mooring is far enough away from other moorings so as not to endanger or interfere with other moored vessels, and that the size and design of the mooring is sufficient to cope with the vessel they intend to place on it. If there is any uncertainty, please seek advice from the Regional Harbourmaster’s Office or from the mooring contractor.
General responsibilities as a mooring holder
- Swing mooring owners must regularly check the top end of moorings for damage or deterioration to the rope and anti-chafe hose. If repairs are needed, please contact a mooring contractor.
- Pile mooring owners must ensure mooring lines are in good condition and of a suitable size.
- Sunken moorings must be raised and checked by a mooring contractor.
- Any substandard or damaged buoy should be replaced at the time of its next inspection. Contractors have been told to replace mooring buoys that are cracked, holed or handle-less.
- Moorings must not be relocated without prior written approval from the Northland Regional Council. Owners of moorings relocated without authorisation will be fined $100 and billed to return the mooring to its consented site.
- Please ensure the correct mooring number is clearly inscribed into the mooring buoy.
- Larger/longer vessels can’t be placed on your mooring without the Regional Harbourmaster’s prior approval.
If your contact details change, please inform the Northland Regional Council immediately.
Marinas
There are currently six purpose-built marinas in Northland, ranging in size from 25–300 berths:
Doves Bay Marina - Kerikeri
Doves Bay Marina
346 Opito Bay Road, RD1
Kerikeri, 0294
Bay of Islands
Phone: +64 9 407 9434
Fax: +64 9 407 9434
Marsden Cove Marina - Whāngārei Harbour
Marsden Cove Ltd
PO Box 110, Orewa
New Zealand
Phone: +64 9 426 1800
Fax: +64 9 426 8871
Freephone: 0508 407 737
Email: sections@hoppers.co.nz
Web: www.marsdencove.co.nz
Ōpua Marina
Ōpua Marina
Baffin Street, Ōpua
Bay of Islands 0290
Phone: +64 9 402 7124
Fax: +64 9 402 6124
Email: enquiries@opuamarina.co.nz
Web: www.opuamarina.co.nz
Tutukākā Marina
Stan Roberts
Tutukākā Marina Manager
RD 3 Whāngārei
New Zealand
Phone: +64 9 4343 441
Fax: +64 9 4343 811
After Hours Mobile: 0274 879 807
Email: marina@tutukaka.co.nz
Web: www.tutukaka.co.nz
Whāngārei Town Basin Marina
Town Basin Marina
37 Quayside
Town Basin
Whāngārei 0110
New Zealand
Phone: +64 9 438 2033
Fax: +64 9 438 2036
Email: whangarei.marina@xtra.co.nz
Web: www.whangareimarina.com
Whangaroa Harbour Marina
Whangaroa Marina Trust
PO Box 141, Kaeo 0448
New Zealand
Location: Whangaroa Rd, 8.5 km from Kaeo off State Highway 10
Office Phone: 09 4050 505
Office Fax: 09 4050 081
Marina Managers Mobile: 021 029 27270
Email: admin@whangaroamarina.co.nz
Website: www.whangaroamarina.co.nz
Local VHF Radio: CH 12