Report an accident or incident Te tuku pānui mō te hauata, mō te raru rānei
It is your legal duty to report accidents, incidents or serious harm injury to Maritime New Zealand and Harbourmaster as soon as possible after they occur.
Failing to report is an offence. Find out more on the Maritime NZ website.
Definitions of an accident, incident or serious harm injury
Accidents - include damage to a vessel which may affect its strength or seaworthiness, groundings, collisions, machinery failures and steering loss
Incidents - include a near collision or a near grounding
Serious harm injuries (legally defined as mishaps) - include, but are not limited to, amputation of a body part, burns, loss of consciousness and any harm that causes hospitalisation for 48 hours or more.
Small cuts or sprain are considered minor injuries and do not have to be reported.
The owner or person in charge of a vessel must provide a report if the vessel is involved in an accident or incident on navigable water that results or could result in:
- damage to another vessel, a navigation aid or any structure
- a vessel to be sunk or grounded
- a vessel to become unseaworthy
- injury to any person.
How to report
Reporting to Maritime NZ
To contact the Director of Maritime New Zealand, call the Rescue Coordination Centre (RCCNZ). Dial the 24-hour emergency number 0508 4 RCCNZ (0508 472 269). Or you can contact the Maritime Operations Centre on VHF Channel 16.
After the initial call, you must submit a report online.
Reporting to Harbourmaster
The Harbourmaster can be reached by phone 09 362 0397 or by email at harbourmaster@at.govt.nz.