We approved the new Tasman District Council Navigation Safety Bylaw 2024 at the Council meeting on 24 October 2024. The bylaw comes into force from 1 December and is pursuant to the Maritime Transport Act 1994.

The bylaw helps ensure that the many inland and coastal water environments across Tasman can be safely used and shared by everyone.

Some of the new requirements in the bylaw include:

• Clear rules for wearing a life jacket.
• Easily identifying a vessel, and its owner or skipper.
• The visibility of small, lone watercraft, such as kayaks.
• Communication requirements for all vessels.

Earlier this year, we sought feedback from the community around the key provisions of the draft bylaw. We were pleased to receive and consider 256 submissions, which provided a great launching pad for discussion during the hearings and deliberations in September.

We are excited to have the bylaw in place in time for summer – this allows us to keep everyone safe and mindful of their responsibilities in and around our waters.

We’ll provide further information on the main aspects of the bylaw across our channels in the coming weeks.

Our Harbourmaster team will also be a visible presence in our bays and lakes – with more staff on deck and an additional vessel covering the coastline. Look out for them at one of the many shows and events on shore too. 
A PDF version of the bylaw can be accessed here.

Copies of the new bylaw will be available to view at all our service centres and on our website at www.tasman.govt.nz/navigation-safety-bylaw.

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