Parliament has passed the Maritime Transport (Lifejackets on Recreational Craft) Amendment Bill. Everyone aboard a recreational vessel of six metres or under will need to wear a properly fitted lifejacket, or another approved personal flotation device, whenever the boat is moving. The rule becomes law 28 days after the Bill receives Royal Assent, the final formality before it takes effect.
Associate Transport Minister James Meager is behind the push, citing 17 deaths in recreational boating incidents last year, 12 of them people who weren’t wearing a lifejacket. He’s called the deaths preventable and the new rule a common-sense fix that’s been a long time coming.
Despite the name, “lifejacket” under the Bill isn’t limited to the foam vest most people picture. It covers any approved personal flotation device, so inflatables and other approved PFDs count too.
Yachting New Zealand has backed the change. Chief executive Steve Armitage made the point that a new law won’t do the job on its own, individual judgement and responsibility on the water still matter just as much as the rule itself. He wants boaties looking out for themselves and each other, not just complying because they have to.
Safer Boating Forum chair Sharyn Forsyth called it a big step forward for the sector, and pointed to the plain logic behind it: a properly fitted lifejacket can be the difference when someone unexpectedly ends up in the water.
Coastguard chief executive Carl McOnie backed that up from experience. His crews see the aftermath of these incidents regularly, and he says a lifejacket does two things that matter most in a rescue: it keeps someone afloat, and it keeps them visible.
Water Safety New Zealand chief executive Glen Scanlon put it as simply as it gets: “A lifejacket cannot help if it is not being worn.” He sees the law less as a compliance exercise and more as a push toward making lifejackets a normal part of getting on the water.
Maritime New Zealand, Police and harbourmasters will handle enforcement, with Maritime NZ coordinating the rollout alongside safer boating partners including Yachting New Zealand as the summer season ramps up.
Maritime NZ’s Principal Advisor for Recreational Craft, Matt Wood, is telling boaties not to leave it until the last minute. Check that lifejackets fit, that they’re the right type, and that they’re in good condition. Wear them, carry two waterproof ways to call for help, and check the marine forecast before heading out.
The Bill has been through a fair few hands to get here, originally introduced by Hon Cameron Brewer before Dr Shane Reti picked it up as sponsor. It’s the result of sustained pressure from across the recreational boating sector to get more lifejackets onto more boaties, and fewer names onto the drowning toll each summer.
