Our Coast and Harbours team is responsible for managing all maritime-related activities that may affect the safety of navigation of vessels on Waitaha Canterbury’s many waterways. We oversee all rivers and lakes in the region as well as coastal areas up to 12 nautical miles offshore.
Work includes the operation of cruise ships and commercial ships, plus a wide range of recreational boating activities – that’s everything from kayaking to jet boating, sailing to stand up paddleboarding. We also manage swing moorings.
Basically, if you operate any type of vessel on any waterway in the region, we're here to make sure you do it safely.
Commercial shipping
We oversee all cargo and fishing vessels, cruise ships, ferries, and tourism operators in Canterbury.
Recreational boating
Boating safety tips, notices, regulations and local requirements to help ensure you get home safe.
Coastal environment
Find information and tools to help protect and enjoy Canterbury’s coastlines, including coastal hazards, water quality, pollution response, planning and marine biosecurity.
Report a boating incident, accident or hazard
Have you seen a boating incident, accident or hazard? Report it to us.
Regional webcams
We operate regional webcams that help us to monitor coastal conditions and track ships.
Hazards and navigation safety events
Here you'll find current information about hazards and navigation safety events in the Canterbury region.
Maritime New Zealand
- Learn about national maritime rules and safety requirements at Maritime New Zealand (external link)
Newsletters
The Coast and Harbours management system is certified to ISO 9001:2015