Our role
Our job is to keep Northland’s harbours and lakes safe for everyone for to enjoy.
Eye on the coast
We have a Regional Harbourmaster and a maritime team who:
- carry out regular harbour patrols to make sure harbour users are sticking to the rules (they can issue an instant fine if you are breaking a harbour bylaw)
- make sure over 300 navigation aids are kept in good condition
- respond to incidents reported by the public
- respond to marine pollution incidents like oil spills
- issue mooring licences
- promote harbour safety
- help pilot ships safely into our harbours
Oil spill response
Whangarei Harbour has a steady stream of tankers coming into Marsden Point oil refinery. This shipping activity puts us all at risk if a major oil spill happens.
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Oil spill exercise in action.
Our team has prepared an Oil Spill Contingency Plan and holds regular training exercises to make sure the right people and equipment can be quickly put into action.
The strategy is to contain and clean up as much oil as possible before it reaches our precious shoreline, fishing grounds and shellfish beds.
We have a large amount of oil spill equipment housed at Marsden Point to help us do the job. We maintain the equipment but it belongs to Maritime New Zealand.
Our team respond to all oil spills. When an oil spill is too large to be dealt with on a local basis, Maritime New Zealand staff will take over the clean-up with help from us.
Spot a problem? Call us
As our region has the largest coastline in New Zealand, we need your help to report anything not quite right in our harbours or lakes.
If you spot something wrong on one of our harbours, please call our 24/7 Environmental Hotline 0800 504 639.
Things we want to know about include:
- suspected sewage discharges
- oil spills
- chemical spills
- navigation light breakdowns
- navigation hazards like floating logs in channels
- dangerous boating
- maritime bylaw infringements
- suspected pollution of any sort
Working together
We also work with local and national maritime agencies to keep our harbours, coastline and lakes safe.
Northland Coastguard
- vessel assistance
- radio reporting service
Find out more: www.coastguard.org.nz/coastguard/
Maritime New Zealand
- accident investigation
- national oil spill response
- vessel licensing
Find out more: www.msa.govt.nz
Emergency response
Our Harbourmaster will generally take the lead role in a maritime incident like a sinking, grounding, oil spill or collision. The Harbourmaster will co-ordinate the other people that need to be involved.
Events on the harbour
We co-ordinate events on the water to ensure that they don't clash and appropriate safety precautions have been taken.
If you are planning an event, like a race, speed trial or competition on the harbour, please call us first.
The Navigation Safety Bylaw gives more information on what you need to and how much notice we need.
Further information
Contact our Regional Harbourmaster at the Regional Council on 0800 002 004 or email mailroom@nrc.govt.nz