Our coast and harbours team have a response capability to coastal marine incidents across the motu.
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Coastal pollution response
We are responsible for planning and responding to marine oil spills and other pollution events, to minimise the environmental impacts on our coastal environment.
Oil spills
Under the Maritime Transport Act 1994, all regional councils or unitary authorities have a responsibility to oversee ship-to-shore oil transfer operations and to respond to marine oil spills.
When we receive a report of an oil spill, we verify the information and identify key facts, including:
- what type of oil is it?
- where is the oil?
- how much oil is there?
- where is it moving to?
- are there any environmental, cultural, wildlife or commercial sites nearby that need protecting with priority?
We then create a response plan that attempts to identify and protect local sensitivities, keeps key stakeholders informed and makes the most effective use of our resources.
Oil spills from a boat into the surrounding sea
Every spill response will have differing actions and complexities, but the aim is always to help the environment to recover. As such, actions taken should have an overall net environmental benefit - ie, the response should leave the environment in a better condition than if the oil were left there.
In Waitaha/Canterbury, we have approximately 30 people trained to respond to an oil spill. The team and response are led by a qualified regional on-scene commander.
Every spill response will be different, but the aim is always to leave the environment better than if the oil were left there.
We have oil spill response equipment stockpiles in Kaikōura, Lyttelton, Ōtautahi/Christchurch, Akaroa and Timaru. We hold at least three practice exercises a year with our first responders throughout the region to prepare for various events.
Other pollutants
Pollutants other than oil can impact our coastal marine environment.
These include (and aren't limited to):
- sewerage or chemical discharges,
- vessel groundings,
- cargo discharges,
- mass fish die-offs or biosecurity threats.
Our incident response team responds to these events as part of our responsibilities under the Resource Management Act 1991.
The response varies based on the event but follows a similar planning process and framework to an oil spill response.
Austro Carina aground in Banks Peninsula
Report an oil spill or a pollutant
If you do discover an oil spill or a pollutant that has the potential to impact our coastal environment, whether on the sea or land, please contact the incident response team on our 24-hour hotline, 0800 765588, or report it via the Snap Send Solve app.
Recent news
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Our staff attended a simulated marine oil spill at Te Ana Marina in Lyttelton last week.