Corporate publications

Our year in review...

Delivering as an intentional, trusted, influential and adaptive regulator.

Tena koutou

As a kaitiaki (guardian) of Aotearoa New Zealand’s ports, oceans and waterways, Maritime NZ works to deliver Safe, Secure, Clean and Sustainable outcomes for New Zealanders.

During 2023/24, we made good progress on implementing our multi-year organisational strategy, Te Korowai o Kaitiakitanga (Te Korowai), which helped us deliver our outcomes more efficiently and effectively. Our progress this year was shaped by our vision, values and principles. These outline our place and aspirations within the wider maritime sector, what we want to achieve as the national maritime regulator and how we will do this, setting a new course for our organisation.

Intentional Takune

We have worked to address identified risks in the maritime sector. Since having a dedicated Maritime Inspections team with additional capacity in November 2022, the number of Port State Control inspections conducted (including initial and follow-up inspections) increased by 21 percent compared with 2022/23, along with a 52 percent increase in the number of deficiencies (detection and resolution) found. The number of ships detained also increased from two in 2021/22 to nine in 2023/24. We also continued to undertake audits and inspections of New Zealand-flagged vessels, spending significant time on ferry issues, given the age of the fleet. Beyond risks, we looked to the future, with work progressing with the sector on developing a pipeline for new technologies and addressing workforce issues over the short and medium term.

Trusted Whakapono

As a trusted regulator, we have improved our systems, processes and practices. This has made it easier for the maritime sector to interact with us and increased the transparency and consistency of our regulatory approach. We established a centralised notifications and enquiries team, new digital notifications forms and a triage policy, to enable more efficient and effective education, triage, communication of and response to notifications and enquiries. We also continued work on our regulatory licensing function, improving processes, working with the sector to identify Rule changes, and introducing a simple maritime transport operations certificate renewal process. We recognise, however, more is still to be done in this area. Finally, our regular Rules reform programme is now well established and being used to reduce cost, create fit-for-purpose Rules and ensure we meet our international commitments.

Dame Jo Brosnahan, DNZM, QSO, Board Chair, Maritime NZ and Kirstie Hewlett, Chief Executive and Director, Maritime NZ.

Influential Whakamana

As an influential regulator, we have continued to build on our collaborative partnership approach with the maritime sector, delivering initiatives that prevent harm and further our outcomes.

Examples include the successful implementation of the extension of our Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 designation over ports from 1 July 2024 and the co-design of an approved code of practice for loading and unloading cargo at ports and on ships, to introducing baseline safety standards on ports.

In 2023/24 we partnered with the New Zealand Safer Boating Forum to launch the Recreational Craft Strategy 2023–2025 and deliver several initiatives under the forum.

Adaptive Urutau

As an adaptive regulator, we continue to respond to the constantly changing operational environment. Our work on our organisational strategy, Te Korowai, has set us up well to demonstrate we are efficient and effective, with low overheads, limited use of consultancy and contractors, and a repurposing of roles to the frontline. However, slower economic recovery and a drop in cruise numbers are creating challenges that we are adapting to through further savings and efficiencies, while still endeavouring to deliver on our levy review commitments to stakeholders. This will continue to be a challenge over 2024/25.

We are proud of our progress and achievements and the work of our people. We greatly appreciate the partnership and support shown by maritime sector partners and other agencies. Together, we will continue our journey to enable New Zealand to become a thriving maritime nation.

Harm in the maritime sector

We are working to reduce harm across the sector through our regulatory approach and harm prevention programmes.

Fatalities in the commercial and recreational sectors¹

Recreational fatalities occurred predominantly in the northern half of the North Island during spring and summer, a trend evident over the past three years.

By vessel type, most recreational fatalities related to smaller vessels, such as inflatables, kayaks and dinghies, although several traumatic injuries occurred on yachts.

The number of recreational boating fatalities remains in the 16 to 18 range seen over the previous five years (see figure 1).

As with previous years, a significant factor in many of these fatal accidents was victims entering the water suddenly and unexpectedly, often without a lifejacket or means of calling for assistance.

The rate of recreational fatalities per 100,000 population was .300, which compares to a rate of .037 for both the ports and harbour and domestic commercial sectors.

No significant event caused multiple fatalities in the commercial sector, as was the case in recent years. Of the four fatalities, two were the result of medical events.

Over the past six years, a steady and significant increase has occurred in the number of New Zealanders playing on our seas and waterways. This suggests the actual rate per participation has decreased.

Notified serious harm events in the commercial sector

Serious harm injuries in the commercial sector are notified to Maritime NZ as a requirement under
section 31 of the Maritime Transport Act 1994. They are not a complete representation of serious
harm due to a level of under reporting.

Notified serious harm events were spread across the Maritime Operator Safety System (MOSS) fishing, nonpassenger and international shipping sectors (see figure 2).

Many of the notified commercial serious harm cases related to slip/trips/falls involving passengers. There was also a pattern of injuries to crew members and stevedores during loading/unloading and maintenance operations.

The rate of notified domestic commercial serious harm per 100,000 population in 2023/24 was .356 and .225 for the ports and harbours sector.

¹ We have split commercial fatalities and notified serious harm events into ports and harbours and domestic commercial sectors to align with harm prevention programmes. Due to unknown levels of under reporting in the recreational sector, we do not report recreational serious harm data here.

Section 31 notifications

Section 31 notifications data helps inform our understanding of the nature of accidents, incidents and mishaps that occur to people and vessels operating in New Zealand waters. The data is used to identify trends, guide policy decisions, target compliance interventions and shape the design and delivery of future government services to reduce harm and improve safety. This data includes serious harm as well as less minor events.

Maritime NZ received 844 section 31 notifications in 2023/24, an overall increase of 23 percent from the previous year (see figure 3).

Bay of Plenty, Otago and Auckland were the regions with the most notifications.

Domestic commercial increased 29 percent.

International commercial increased 12 percent.

Recreational boating increased 16 percent.

Top 10 section 31 notifications by event type

The most common type of incident reported to Maritime NZ were Injuries (15 percent of total notifications), followed by notifications relating to groundings (12 percent) (see figure 4).

Jet boats, container ships and bulk carriers were the most common vessel types.

The events occurred mostly inshore ahead of in harbour and at berth.

Section 31 notified injuries

Maritime NZ was advised through section 31 notifications of injuries to 195 individuals, an increase of 10 percent compared with the previous year ² (see figure 5).

As in previous years, injuries within the recreational sector continue to follow a highly seasonal pattern, with most occurring in the months November to February.

² The injured event types in figure 4 relate to the initial event that led to the notification. For instance, a vessel grounding may result in injuries but they were not the initial event. For this reason, figure 5 provides the actual count of section 31 notified injuries.

Deter, detect and, when necessary, detain: improving the quality of ships and conditions for seafarers

With over $135 billion and more than 99 percent of exports and 80 percent of imports by volume being transported to and from New Zealand by ship, the maritime transport system is critical to New Zealand’s supply chain sustainability.

In recent years, New Zealand, like many other countries, has had a significant increase in the number of sub-standard ships in its waters. Several factors may be contributing to this, including deferred maintenance and reduced trade during the COVID-19 pandemic, which continued through the decline in global trade that followed. Issues with crew conditions have also been highlighted as we continue to recognise the effect that substandard on-board conditions have on seafarers.

Ships in poor condition, and crew members who are stressed, tired and unwell, are a significant safety risk to people, the environment and the economy.

A dedicated inspections team

In response to these issues, Maritime NZ set up the dedicated Maritime Inspections team. This placed staff with big-ship experience into one team to focus on and prioritise Maritime NZ’s efforts concerning New Zealand’s PSC (large foreign ships) and Flag State (large domestic ships) regimes.

The team of 11 makes deliberate and disciplined choices to prevent harm and improve the standard of large ships operating in New Zealand waters, and the standard of working and living conditions provided to seafarers on board these ships.

In 2023/24, the team improved on previous years’ results to enhance Maritime NZ’s regulatory role in PSC and Flag State oversight. Highlights include:

• 356 PSC and follow-up inspections:
  61 more than in 2022/23
• undertaking all the required Flag State inspections
• 18 substandard ships detained for quality, safety, environmental and crew welfare concerns: 7 more than in 2022/23
• responding to several high-profile and high-risk incidents involving large ships
• addressing 18 Maritime Labour Convention complaints from seafarers, which resulted in them receiving regular payment of wages, fairer treatment, shore leave and improved working and living conditions.

The outcome

Overall, the number of inspections, deficiencies identified to be corrected, and detentions have all increased since the team was created.

Clyde Fernandes, General Manager of the Maritime Inspections Team, said feedback so far was encouraging.

“Several operators have noted the increased activity in New Zealand ports and are actively striving to improve the standard of their ships,” he said.

“Engagements with operators, ports and harbourmasters have been very positive with complimentary feedback on the focus of the new team.

“The way we have responded to and helped Maritime Labour Convention complaints has been really positive and seems to be enhancing New Zealand’s reputation internationally as a nation that prioritises seafarer welfare.”

Port industry welcomes first “approved code of practice for loading and unloading of cargo at ports and on ships

The loading and unloading of cargo at ports and on ships is the most dangerous operation in the sector and where most incidents and injuries occur.

Following two deaths on ports in 2022, the Minister of Transport asked Maritime NZ and the sector to produce recommendations to improve safety, and loading and unloading cargo was one of those areas targeted.

The Port Health and Safety Leadership Group, chaired by Maritime NZ Director Kirstie Hewlett, was the body tasked with improving safety on ports. The group started by engaging widely with the sector, including via a national survey of port workers, interviews and workshops, to produce insights and an action plan.

This work identified the loading and unloading of cargo as the area where the biggest risks and most of the injuries and fatalities occur, and that the practice was inconsistent within and across the sector. A priority of the action plan was an ‘approved code of practice (ACOP) for loading and unloading of cargo at ports and on ships’.

Roger Gray, Chief Executive of Port of Auckland, said an ACOP was an important step forward for the port sector because it set out a base standard for how to manage cargo.

“There are lots of different behaviours across the port sector. There are some really great ways of doing things, and some quite challenging ways that people work. Setting a base standard through an ACOP will help greatly with that.”

Sector consensus and approved code of practice approval

The ACOP was developed collaboratively with unions and workers, port sector businesses and relevant government agencies.

Maritime NZ issued the draft for consultation then followed up with online webinars and extensive contact with port, stevedore and marshalling companies, unions and workers, shipping agents and transport operators. The consultation  received 34 submissions, which included more than 730 individual comments. Comments were mostly constructive and positive.

“A lot of work has clearly gone into the document, well done to pull 13 ports and numerous port users together.” – Northport

“It is a practical and thorough document that pulls into one document the legislative requirements to be cognisant of.” – Napier Port

The outcome

In August, the port industry enthusiastically welcomed ministers’ approval of the first ACOP, which will come into effect on 29 November 2024.

The ACOP approval represented a great effort and achievement by the whole of Maritime NZ and the sector.

Foreward

Kupu whakataki

Kia ora, nga mihi maioha ki a koutou katoa

Maritime NZ is the national maritime regulatory and response agency for the safety, security and environmental protection of New Zealand’s marine environment. We work across government systems such as transport, border, health and safety at work, environment, conservation and oceans.

Our engagement with stakeholders covers recreational boating and craft users, domestic and international commercial operators, operations on ports, and international bodies such as the International Maritime Organization.

As a Crown entity, we are required to publish a Statement of Intent. This outlines to the maritime sector, the Government and our monitoring agency (the Ministry of Transport) what we aim to achieve over the next few years. Preparing such a document allows us to take stock of what is important for us to deliver against our outcomes, how we can do so efficiently and effectively, and where we should target our priorities. This process sets our course as a trusted, intentional, adaptive and influential regulator.

Our Statement of Intent identifies what we see as the longer term challenges facing the maritime sector. Given the role of the maritime sector in New Zealand’s economy and society, risks and opportunities are emerging for New Zealand both internationally and domestically. These include:

• rapid changes in technology, such as electrification, alternative fuels and novel craft and ship design
• various factors making major maritime incidents and associated supply chain disruptions more likely
• increasing complexity and threats in maritime security
• inadequate port and supply chain infrastructure
• significant pressure on the maritime workforce.

An anticipated reduction in levies revenue from forecast cruise and cargo visits to New Zealand is likely to affect Maritime NZ’s financial sustainability over the next few years. To prepare for this challenge, it is critical we are resilient, efficient and effective.

Over the past two and a half years, we have made strong progress in resetting and improving who we are as a regulator through our organisational strategy, Te Korowai o Kaitiakitanga (the Cloak of Stewardship). Our aim now is to maintain our delivery against our outcomes and make further important changes around our regulatory approach and how people interact with us.

Te Korowai o Kaitiakitanga has shaped our improved regulatory approach. As a risk-based regulator, we prioritise our actions to prevent harm from occurring across the maritime domain. This includes harm to those playing, working in or using the maritime domain, along with the environment, property and the economy.

Over the next three years, we will continue to embed our regulatory and harm prevention approach. We will do this through specific programmes relating to ports and harbours, domestic commercial and recreational craft, maritime incident readiness and response, and the Pacific. We will strengthen our approach through several regulatory-improvement initiatives, including:

• developing clear operational policies and practices, refining our enforcement approach
• delivering a new notifications and enquiries function and triaging model
• providing an efficient and effective certification and licensing service.

Following the recent approval of the Maritime and Oil Pollution Levies Review, increased levy revenue will enable us to:

• bring in additional capacity to identify and deal effectively with substandard ships and improve how we monitor and support third parties delivering important services to the maritime sector on our behalf
• support the provision of seafarer welfare services to meet our obligations under the Maritime Labour Convention
• maintain marine oil spill readiness and response capability
• improve management of maritime and marine protection rules.

Since our last Statement of Intent was published in 2021, we have revised our organisational values and principles. Our existing core outcomes – Safe, Secure and Clean – now include the addition of Sustainable. This reflects that when we carry out our safe, clean and secure role we aspire to do so in a way that builds a sustainable maritime sector for the future. Together, these outcomes signal our high-level priorities, both internally and externally, so everyone knows what success looks like. They ensure a ‘line of sight’ exists that connects what we do day to day to the bigger picture. They also recognise other players in the maritime sector that we rely on and work with to deliver broader outcomes for the sector.

Our principles, which shape the way we deliver our outcomes, define who we are as a regulator and describe what external parties can expect from us: to be Trusted | Whakapono, Intentional | Takune, Influential | Whakamana and Adaptive | Urutau. Our values – Care | Kia Tika, Connect | Kotahitanga and Courage | Kia Maia – describe the behaviour we expect of our people, which drives our workplace culture. Together, these values are important reminders of what we are here to do, why we do it and how we should act at all times.

It is important we balance our longer term work programmes with our short-term priorities. Our complementary Statement of Performance Expectations 2024/25 sets out our annual work programmes, and we encourage you to read it.

As an organisation, we strongly believe our improved regulatory approach, and the dedication and calibre of our people, position us well to deliver our outcomes and face the challenges and uncertainties over the next few years.

Na maua noa, na

Dame Jo Brosnahan, DNZM, QSO, Board Chair, Maritime NZ and Kirstie Hewlett, Chief Executive and Director, Maritime NZ.

Targeting our effort: Our external focus areas

Harm prevention programmes

Ports and harbours programme

This programme focuses on navigational and other health and safety issues on large ships subject to international conventions, such as the 1974 International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). These ships include foreign and domestic cargo ships, oil tankers operating in New Zealand waters, cruise ships and large passenger vessels in ports and harbours. The programme also covers health and safety on the land side of ports and management of security risks relating to ships and ports.

We partner with, and our director chairs, the Port Health and Safety Leadership Group, which includes representatives from port and stevedoring companies, unions, the Port Industry Association and WorkSafe New Zealand. Group members work in a tripartite partnership to drive health and safety improvements in New Zealand ports and have developed the Port Sector Insights Picture and Action Plan to address harm. Our focus is on delivering the action plan, including important parts of it that we lead, such as the Approved Code of Practice in loading and unloading of cargo on ports.

An important shorter term priority is delivering and embedding our extended health and safety role across New Zealand’s 13 major commercial ports from 1 July 2024. This will give us the legal mandate and additional resourcing to look holistically at how ports and port-based businesses are managing risks, developing systems, performing safety operations, and engaging with workers to improve health, safety and culture. It is critical the port sector has confidence and assurance in our capability and effectiveness as their Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 regulator. As part of the programme, we will continue to work closely with WorkSafe New Zealand, the Port Health and Safety Leadership Group and those controlling a business or undertaking on ports.

We also work via the Port and Harbour Marine Safety Code to support port operators and councils, to manage the navigational safety of marine activities. These ensure the safe management of ships navigating in ports and harbours, including the prevention of injury to people, loss of life and damage to the marine environment (including property). The Code provides a voluntary standard to support national and local legislation. A review of its effectiveness is on our work programme.

Our dedicated Maritime Inspections team is addressing substandard ships, in partnership with our partners in the Tokyo Memorandum of Understanding and through the IMO.

We are also engaging with stakeholders to build the capability and presence of our security function on ports, with the national security system, and in the Pacific.

Recreational boating and craft programme

This programme aims to improve recreational craft users’ on-water competencies and promote preventative safety attitudes and behaviour. Priority audiences in particular are those who are over-represented in harm statistics, such as males 45–60 years of age and Māori and Pacific communities. Over the longer term, the programme aims to make recreational craft users aware of their responsibilities, manage risk and reduce recreational maritime fatalities over time.

As part of this programme, we will continue to chair the New Zealand Safer Boating Forum and work with its leadership group to implement the Recreational Craft Strategy 2023–2025. The strategy has a vision of enabling “people on recreational craft to connect to and enjoy the water safely”. The Forum is made up of a cross-section of stakeholders, including the Accident Compensation Corporation, Drowning Prevention Auckland, Coastguard New Zealand and harbourmasters. Members of the forum work together to develop and implement the strategy and support agreed boating safety policy, communications, education, compliance and regulation.

We also manage the Community Grants programme. This is available to Safer Boating Forum members to support harm prevention efforts in the recreational boating sector and the delivery of community-based programmes for at-risk communities and priority audiences.

Programme activities over the short term include marketing campaigns to influence safety behaviour improvements, a research programme to help our understanding of the drivers of harm, and targeted compliance and enforcement campaigns.

Domestic commercial programme

This programme aims to prevent and reduce harm to people, the environment and property within the domestic commercial sector. It focuses on safety issues relating to domestic commercial operations working in New Zealand waters, including fishing vessels, aquaculture, smaller passenger ferries, charter vessels and other domestic tourism operators.

We will work closely with the sector to develop a better understanding of what harm is occurring, to whom and why. These insights will help the design of interventions to address harm. Early priorities will include working with the fishing sector on harm events and learning from tragedies in the domestic charter sector, including the Enchanter and i-Catcher. In doing this, we will engage with existing sector groups, such as the New Zealand Fishing Health and Safety Forum and Marine Transport Association.

This will see a positive shift in culture and practices. Such a shift will enable and achieve safe, secure and clean outcomes and system sustainability. Over time, it is hoped to bring about a reduction in the rates of fatalities, serious harm injuries, levels of pollution, and waste from ships.

A core opportunity for this programme is created by the reform of the 40 series rules, which is a significant regulatory stewardship project in the maritime sector. These rules set the design, construction and equipment standards for New Zealand domestic commercial ships. Reform provides a means to address many issues and drivers of harm identified in Transport Accident Investigation Commission reports and feedback from the sector.

Maritime incident readiness and response

We are constantly looking to improve our readiness and response to address harm. This can involve exploring how we regularly save lives on water and land or ensuring we can respond to a major maritime incident that could result in harm to people, the environment and property.

The programme aims to enable Maritime NZ to lead New Zealand’s maritime sector through full spectrum, future-focused incident planning, readiness generation and response actions. This is in line with Maritime NZ’s responsibilities as the lead agency under the Maritime Transport Act 1994.

We are developing a flexible and scalable response capability that can adapt to emerging threats and challenges, such as new technologies, alternative fuels, cyber threats and climate change. This will ensure Maritime NZ and the sector can respond effectively to the full range of maritime incidents: taking an ‘all hazards’ approach. Our focus is also on general maritime sector resilience.

We require fit-for-purpose and tested response capabilities:

• to be able to lead and coordinate a national mass rescue operation
• to be able to coordinate aviation assets conducting search and rescue during national civil defence emergencies
• for emergency towage and offshore response, to provide interventions for stricken vessels (preventing collisions and groundings)
• for ongoing provision of critical maritime safety and distress communications infrastructure to meet domestic and international obligations as an important safety foundation for the maritime sector
• for a resilient rescue coordination centre that can meet growing national demand and deliver critical 24/7 lifesaving services even when affected by a national disaster or emergency.

We will focus on data-driven decision-making. This will allow a common understanding of the threats to the maritime sector and marine environment, ensuring we focus on risk-based reduction and readiness activities to mitigate the threats.

We will deliver a maritime incident exercise series of national significance. This will test Maritime NZ’s and the maritime sector’s capability to respond to and manage a major maritime incident, including other government agencies, councils and the search and rescue sector.

We will develop a singular maritime incident response strategy. This will promote a standardised and coordinated national readiness and response system that works in line with government systems. It will also require us to work closely with stakeholders, such as New Zealand Police, the search and rescue sector and regional councils.

Pacific maritime programme

We undertake a range of safety and security work in the Pacific. This programme aims to ensure that work is aligned with broader New Zealand Government support and interests in the Pacific.

The Pacific Maritime Safety Programme, funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s International Development Cooperation Programme, is delivered by Maritime NZ. The objective is for safe, reliable and environmentally friendly maritime transport in the Pacific. This includes developing maritime transport that meets international standards and helping partner countries sustainably manage maritime transport safety locally.

We work with seven Pacific Island countries to develop a maritime safety culture through:

• community education and awareness
• regulatory capacity building
• supporting education and training of maritime personnel
• domestic vessel safety and infrastructure
• search and rescue, oil pollution spill preparedness and response.

The programme also works on common regional interests through international forums like the IMO and the Asia-Pacific Heads of Maritime Safety Agencies.

Cross-sector harm prevention initiatives

These initiatives look at issues across the maritime sector and are often identified with industry. As issues change, we expect cross-sector initiatives to do so too.

Emissions reduction and new technologies

This initiative aims to ensure New Zealand’s maritime sector and supply chains are safe, clean, secure and sustainable through their access to new technology. It focuses on making the safe use of new technologies possible across the maritime sector, particularly those critical for reducing greenhouse gas emissions over time. These new technologies may include new fuels, new propulsion systems and autonomous or remote operation.

The uptake of new technology by the maritime sector must be matched with fit-for-purpose regulatory frameworks and infrastructure. These need to be able to manage the risks of new technologies and prevent harm to people, the environment, security and economy.

Over the next few years, we will work with various national stakeholders to understand their priorities and support the period of transition. This will include working with other government agencies, such as the Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, New Zealand Transport Agency and Civil Aviation Authority, and ports, operators, investors and sustainable business groups in the maritime sector. We will also work with international partners, including the IMO and Australian Maritime Safety Authority to make sure New Zealand’s approach is aligned with important trade partners and supports resilient supply chains and continued market access.

An important first step will be creating a clear ‘pipeline’ to give certainty about the regulatory process to people making new technology applications. Over time, we will update the rules framework to make sure it is fit for purpose for these new technologies.

Maritime workforce

To meet our harm prevention goals, we must have an adequate, well-trained workforce. This initiative aims to make sure enough competent people are available to work in all parts of the sector we are responsible for over the short and longer term. This programme considers all the drivers that influence the workforce including regulatory requirements, processes and systems, the suitability of training, sector attractiveness and informing decisions on immigration settings. In particular, we are looking at domestic rules and immigration settings to make them appropriate for achieving a sustainable and competent maritime workforce. As part of this work, we will review the SeaCert rules framework and seek to influence the ongoing review of IMO workforce settings.

Our aim is to ensure robust, consistent training standards and methods of assessment, accessible learning modes and sufficient skills recognition are in place. The longterm objective is for a maritime sector in New Zealand that is visible and seen as an attractive place to work, which people are incentivised to join, based on clear career pathways and skills transferability.

As part of this programme, we are working with participants in the maritime system, including the Port Industry Association, the Ports and Harbours Sector Leadership Group, as well as maritime operators, training providers, unions, workers, port operators and port-based companies.

Seafarer welfare

Under the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), New Zealand must provide seafarer welfare services to international seafarers visiting New Zealand ports. Services are provided through seafarer welfare officers, volunteers and seafarer centres based around ports.

This initiative will establish a collaborative New Zealand seafarer welfare council, comprising Maritime NZ and maritime sector stakeholders, such as welfare agencies and shipping companies. This will help guide the delivery of welfare services to seafarers, including those not covered by the MLC. It will also see the implementation of a grant system to allocate funding for external delivery of services to seafarers.

We will also work with maritime sector stakeholders to ensure New Zealand meets its obligations and that seafarer welfare is enhanced. This will include reviewing how adequate the provision of welfare services is to seafarers.

Foreward

Kia ora, nga mihi maioha ki a koutou katoa

At Maritime NZ, we have a clear vision to prevent harm, save lives and secure New Zealand’s maritime future.

Over the past two and a half years, we have been implementing our organisational strategy, Te Korowai o Kaitiakitanga (the Cloak of Stewardship). To be a risk-based regulator, we need to target our work to where we can reduce the most harm. We have to continue to hold people to account. Where we do so, we want people to understand how we triage; make sure we use the appropriate enforcement tool; and be clear about how and why we make enforcement decisions. During the year, we will begin to roll out our new regulatory approach and operational policies and practices to achieve this.

We will continue working in partnership with the sector to deliver multi-year programmes. We know the best way to achieve our outcomes is by partnering with people in the maritíme sector to gain an understanding of why harm is happening and then developing collective interventions to stop it from occurring in the first place. We will continue the good progress made with partners in the ports and harbours and recreational craft areas, and in the Pacific.

An important focus in 2024/25 will be to achieve the same level of progress in areas like maritime incident readiness and response, and with New Zealand commercial operators in the fishing sector, tourism and small passenger operators. Our development of cross-sector initiatives will continue. These will address some of the biggest challenges and opportunities facing the sector, for example, supporting initiatives for an available trained workforce and enabling and supporting the safe use of new technologies and decarbonisation.

We have been given additional funding to address regulatory risks and improve our efficiency and effectiveness. Important areas of work for 2024/25 will be:

• embedding, from 1 July, our Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 extended designation to the land-side of ports, so we can be an effective primary health and safety regulator of port operations
• continuing our improvements to notifications and certifications, through changes to rules, policies and processes, and implementation of our notifications and enquiries team and function
• developing ‘MyMNZ’, our online digital front door, which will significantly improve our digital interaction and create efficiencies for the maritime sector, and us, as the regulator
• building our enhanced security function so we can respond to greater security threats at ports and support the broader Maritime Security Strategy to address risks to New Zealand’s maritime domain and the security of supply chains
• adding to our capacity to identify and deal effectively with substandard ships, which will decrease the risk of catastrophic safety and environmental harm as well as injuries and fatalities, and continuing to provide advice on options for emergency ocean-going towage capabilities
• enhancing our support and oversight of third parties outside of Maritime NZ that undertake critical regulatory functions on our behalf, by implementing a new third party oversight team and framework • supporting the provision of seafarer welfare services to meet our obligations under the Maritime Labour Convention, which will enhance the health, safety and wellbeing of seafarers, including setting up a new council and funding model
• delivering a programme of maritime and marine protection rules that reduce red tape, create more fit-for-purpose rules and deliver more effective outcomes.

Our regulatory strategy work has positioned us well to show we are working efficiently, allowed us to reduce contractor and consultant spending and repurpose roles to our frontline. We have put metrics in place to make sure we continue to monitor our efficiency.

It is important to stress, however, that we anticipate levy revenue to be down against forecast cruise and cargo ship visits to New Zealand. To address this, we have decreased expenditure in some areas in 2024/25, while still ensuring we can deliver on our core regulatory role and what is expected from us arising from the levy review. It is important we balance our longer term work programmes with our short-term priorities. Our complementary Statement of Intent 2024–2028 sets out our longer-term strategic vision, and we encourage you to read it.

Over 2024/25, we look forward to delivering our organisational strategy, embedding our harm prevention approach and fulfilling our aim of being a trusted, intentional, adaptive and influential regulator.

Na maua noa, na

Dame Jo Brosnahan, DNZM, QSO, Board Chair, Maritime NZ and Kirstie Hewlett, Chief Executive and Director, Maritime NZ.