Auckland Council is seeking public approval for sweeping changes to local boating rules as a month-long consultation opens.
The most widespread change targets small boaties. The council intends to require lifejackets on vessels six metres or less in length when underway. This removes the current “skipper discretion” rule.
The council notes that “94 per cent (17) of fatalities in craft-related incidents in 2024 were not wearing a PFD (Personal Flotation Device).”
The proposal also aims to “reduce the maximum anchorage stay”, around the gulf “from 14 days to 7 days in a 28-day period”.
The council also plans to “replace historic mooring licences” to “ensure all moorings licence holders are subject to the same terms and conditions for fair and equal use”.
The most profound change appears to be adding a requirement for vessel owners on council moorings to have ‘appropriate’ vessel insurance.
The Harbourmaster’s team disposes of between 30 to 35 abandoned boats every year, at a cost of roughly $150,000 to $170,000.
Water toys are also in the regulatory crosshairs. The council is seeking to “introduce rules for the use of novel craft” which includes “motorised hydrofoil, flight-boards and tow-foiling”.
The council justifies the crackdown because these toys operate “close to shore in swimming zones, in surf zones and in proximity to larger vessels”.
Several specific locations are getting tighter restrictions. The council will “introduce an exclusion zone (control) around Auckland Airport”.
For commercial operators, the proposal seeks to “clarify bunkering rules” by “reducing notification time from 24 hours to three hours”.
The downtown ferry area is also being formalised. The council will “include longstanding Harbourmaster Directions about the Auckland Ferry Terminal Basin”.
To free up Harbourmaster resources, the council will also “revoke 14 legacy access lanes that are rarely used”.
Public consultation is currently open and runs from “4 May through to 7 June 2026”.
Submissions to the council proposals can be made, here.
