Protection of New Zealand’s marine environment from pollution is provided by regulations, standards, legislation and international conventions. This is part of the global framework for combating marine pollution.
This page provides an overview of the marine environment protections covering New Zealand. For the specific requirements that apply to vessels, installations and ports, please use the link below.
Marine environmental protection
Most of New Zealand’s marine environment protection legislation is provided by the Maritime Transport Act 1994, and the marine protection rules that come under this Act.
Maritime Transport Act 1994 [New Zealand Parliamentary Counsel Office]
Marine Protection Rules
New Zealand’s marine protection rules set out the detailed technical requirements for ships’ construction, pollution prevention equipment and operation, and restriction on the deliberate disposal of waste into the sea. Much of the substance of these rules is derived from international conventions and good practice.
The overarching goal of the rules is to limit the input of harmful substances into the sea, from for example:
The drafting of New Zealand’s rules to regulate discharge of harmful substances is undertaken by Maritime New Zealand on behalf of the Minister of Transport. New rules often arise as a result of new or evolving international standards. Putting these international standards into rules involves public consultation, during which interested and affected parties are invited to participate.
Public consultation on maritime interests
Maritime New Zealand monitors and enforces compliance with marine protection legislation as part of its regulatory oversight of vessels, offshore installations, ports and dumping permits. Visiting foreign ships must also meet the international standards adopted by New Zealand.
Within 12 miles from shore, discharges from ships and offshore installations are regulated by the Resource Management Act 1991 and marine pollution regulations made under this Act. Monitoring and enforcement is carried out by regional councils. Councils also consider any applications for permits for dumping of waste at sea within this zone.
Resource Management Act 1991 [New Zealand Parliamentary Counsel Office]
Resource Management (Marine Pollution) Regulations 1998 [New Zealand Parliamentary Counsel Office]
Biosecurity New Zealand, under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, administers the Biosecurity Act. This act sets out the requirements for the discharge in New Zealand waters of ships’ ballast water from overseas.
Biosecurity Act 1993 [New Zealand Parliamentary Counsel Office]
The key international marine environment protection conventions recognised in New Zealand law are as follows.
This is the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, as modified by the Protocol of 1978 relating thereto (known as MARPOL 73/78).
This convention has technical annexes regulating the following matters:
New Zealand law gives effect to annex I, II, III, and V and thus regulates discharges of oil, chemicals, marine pollutants (in packaged form), and garbage. Annex IV is given effect for ships in New Zealand that are leaving for and coming from the Antarctic sea area only. Work is currently underway to determine if New Zealand should become party to annex IV (in full) and annex VI (on air pollution).
There is no international convention comprehensively regulating the environmental standards of offshore installations. While some MARPOL controls apply to installation management of oily waste from machinery spaces and garbage, the more significant waste streams are left to national regulation. Examples of these include: the discharge of production water, offshore processing drainage and displacement water. The New Zealand controls for these types of discharge are in line with international good practice.
Learn more about MARPOL [International Maritime Organization]
The 1996 Protocol refers to the Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes or Other Matter, 1972. It is also known as the London Convention.
This convention prohibits the dumping of all waste except for a restricted group of materials and then only when it can be established that there are no practical opportunities for reuse or recycling, and that the effects of dumping on the marine environment will be minor.
Wastes under the protocol comprise:
Learn more about the 1996 Protocol [International Maritime Organization]
