24/7 maritime services over the Christmas holiday period

Maritime NZ continues providing 24/7 services over the Christmas holiday period

20 December 2018

Maritime NZ is reminding New Zealanders to stay safe this holiday period but should assistance be needed, then many of our services are available 24/7 throughout the holidays.

Maritime NZ Director Keith Manch said “While our services are available, we’d of course prefer you not to need them!”

“We urge the public to be prepared before you go out. Your safety depends on good preparation and your ability to look after yourself. It’s important to have the right knowledge, experience and equipment”.

Maritime NZ services continuing through the holidays include:

• Rescue Coordination Centre NZ

• Maritime Radio Service

• The Marine Pollution Response Service

• Maritime Officers

• Duty Managers

• Safer Boating Campaign

• Media line – 04 499 7318.

The Rescue Coordination Centre NZ operates 24/7, 365 days a year. They are responsible for coordinating all major maritime and aviation search and rescue missions across an area of 30 million square kilometres. They also coordinate land based missions arising from someone activating a distress beacon.

The Maritime Radio Service does around-the-clock monitoring of VHF radio channels within New Zealand’s coastal waters, as well as HF distress channels across a 50 million square kilometre region of the South Pacific. The Service also broadcasts safety information, such as meteorological warnings.

The Marine Pollution Response Service leads our oil spill response in New Zealand in the event of a major oil spill and works to minimize the impact of oil pollution on our marine environment.

Around the country, Maritime Officers will be out conducting a range of activities from providing safety advice to recreational boaties and the wider public to conducting inspections, audits and investigations on vessels and maritime operations to ensure they are safe and seaworthy.”

As part of the Safer Boating Campaign, Maritime NZ is currently running a number of safety initiatives aimed at recreational boaties over the summer:

• ‘No Excuses’ is an enforcement campaign where Maritime NZ’s Maritime Officers will be working with a number of local councils, taking a ‘No Excuses’ approach to boaties not carrying a lifejacket or travelling at unsafe speeds. The campaign includes penalties for breaches of regional council bylaws and national maritime rules by recreational boaties.

• Maritime NZ is once again funding the Coastguard’s ‘Old4New’ lifejacket upgrade campaign. Over summer, the ‘Old4New’ van will be visiting 56 locations throughout the country, offering discounts on brand new jackets in return for old, damaged or out-of-date lifejackets.

• A multi-media campaign is running over the summer to remind boaties to take a VHF radio, as at least one form of waterproof communication when out at sea.

Maritime NZ recently released statistics stating that recreational boating figures are well down on last year’s figures. Four people have died in boating accidents so far this year and considerable effort will be made by Maritime NZ services to help keep this number down over the holiday season.

The media release on the number of recreational boating fatalities so far this year can be found by clicking on the following link: https://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/public/news/media-releases-2018/20181219a.asp

Useful links for boaties

VHF radio – lots of information and watch the new ad www.maritimenz.govt.nz/vhf

Coastguard Boating Education – learn all about boating www.boatingeducation.org.nz/courses

Lifejackets – what’s good and what’s not www.maritimenz.govt.nz/lifejackets

Old4New Lifejacket Upgrade – where and when, all you need to know www.old4new.nz

ends

© Scoop Media