Seven days notice of a vessel’s arrival now required
Maritime New Zealand’s update and the Ministry of Health’s (MoH) updated Covid-19 Public Health Response (Maritime Border) Order (No.2) 2020 - the ‘Maritime Border Order’ - focus the rules brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Maritime Border Order
Unsurprisingly the maritime border remains closed to non-New Zealand vessels, subject to a few exemptions. The order instead making a few tweaks to the rules, the most noticeable being:
The master of a ship is now required to provide at least 168 hours’ notice (7 days) of their arrival in New Zealand, where practicable. Previously only 48 hours’ notice was required.
The period of isolation has been simplified and, in most cases, reduced. Previously the shortest of either 29 consecutive days at sea or 14 days isolation after arrival in New Zealand’s waters was required. The new Order requires that the vessel has been in isolation for at least 14 days. This commences from whichever date is later - the date the ship leaves a port for New Zealand, the last contact with another person not on the vessel, or the time the last person joined the vessel.
The Order includes those who interact with quarantining vessels to undertake a test for Covid-19, at least every 14 days. This includes pilots, stevedores as well as workers who have boarded ships in quarantine or those who transport those in contact with ships in quarantine.
Exemptions for foreign vessels
The MoH has also clarified its exemptions on the humanitarian or other compelling need exemption allowing foreign vessels to enter New Zealand.
The clarification states that applications solely involving financial loss or pleasure craft seeking to ‘winter over’ would require other genuine reasons for falling within the exemption. A separate application form and updated process flow have also been provided on the MoH website.
There of course remain other exemptions allowing entry to New Zealand, such as for refuelling, delivering cargo and to enter for a pre-booked substantial refit in a New Zealand shipyard.
Arrival instructions
New Zealand Customs is drafting updated operational instructions for the arrival of small craft (including superyachts). It is stated that these instructions being released does not mean the border is due to reopen to all craft. The instructions shall encompass the information provided by the MoH, Immigration New Zealand and New Zealand Customs, setting out the rules and identifying the process for small craft to apply for permission to enter New Zealand.
For further information, contact Peter Dawson by email peter@maritimelaw.co.nz, or by phone +64 27 229 9624.