Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Marine pests prompt local hull cleaning rule rethink in northern NZ

Rotorua Daily Post
18 Mar, 2019 12:28 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Lake Tarawera

Lake Tarawera

People are being asked whether a more consistent regulatory framework is needed to help stop the spread of marine pests across New Zealand's four busiest boating regions.

For several years, the Bay of Plenty, Waikato, Auckland and Northland regions – alongside Biosecurity New Zealand and boaties from all over – have been working together to stop the spread of unwanted marine pests like Mediterranean fanworm hitchhiking on vessel hulls.

Waikato Regional Council's integrated catchment services manager Patrick Whaley said while Biosecurity New Zealand managed national rules to minimise the risk of new pest species arriving on vessels from overseas, the regulations for vessels moving around within coastal waters varied from region to region.

"Given our four northern-most regional councils - Northland, Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty Toi Moana - are also collectively home to the country's biggest boating populations, we think a consistent regulatory approach to managing marine pests is worth considering," he said.

Whaley said New Zealand's coastline and rich, diverse marine life had long been at the heart of the country's shared national identity but as the population and an associated increase in boat movements grew, so too did the risks of marine pest spread.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"These pests threaten our incredible coastal playground and its underwater life, including kaimoana. They also pose considerable risks to our tourism and aquaculture industries."

Whaley said there were a number of potential options to consider, ranging from a requirement for a clean hull at all times, only when moving or only when moving to specially identified places.

"If new rules were to be proposed, agencies would also need to consider implementation implications, such as roles and responsibilities, where costs should lie and how these should be funded."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Whaley said the four northern councils wanted to hear what their respective local communities thought before advancing the initiative.

"We'd like to encourage as many people as possible to take this opportunity to have a say on a local authority issue that traverses several regions."

A discussion document outlining the different options, including pros and cons for each, along with the opportunity to give feedback is available at www.bionet.nz.

The two-month feedback period runs from today until May 24.

Discover more

Inaugural Rotorua Youth Festival under way

15 Mar 10:44 PM

Rotorua Walking Festival attracts hundreds from all over the world

17 Mar 02:46 AM

Davey Boles wins Legend of the Lake again

18 Mar 12:00 AM

Whaley said all feedback would be reported to each of the four councils about mid-2019 and this would guide future decisions on whether a consistent regulatory framework should be developed.

"Before going down that road, any changes would need to be agreed to by each council and would follow a formal public consultation process."

For background information about marine biosecurity, visit the Ministry for Primary Industries' Marine Biosecurity Porthole at www.marinebiosecurity.org.nz.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Daily Post

Zespri teams up with Dame Lisa Carrington

01 Jul 03:30 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

Compliance concern: Growers oppose proposed geothermal water regulations

01 Jul 12:00 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

Fresh weather warnings issued for BoP

30 Jun 11:29 PM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Zespri teams up with Dame Lisa Carrington

Zespri teams up with Dame Lisa Carrington

01 Jul 03:30 AM

Bay of Plenty-born Carrington calls Zespri role a great way to “connect back with home”.

Compliance concern: Growers oppose proposed geothermal water regulations

Compliance concern: Growers oppose proposed geothermal water regulations

01 Jul 12:00 AM
Fresh weather warnings issued for BoP

Fresh weather warnings issued for BoP

30 Jun 11:29 PM
'Where I needed to be': US high school the right move for Kiwi basketballer

'Where I needed to be': US high school the right move for Kiwi basketballer

30 Jun 10:00 PM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP