Lifejackets mandatory on all small boats while underway after Maritime Safety Amendment Bill passes
Lifejackets will now be required to be worn on all small vessels while underway under a new maritime safety law adopted by Parliament.
National MP Dr Shane Reti’s Maritime Transport (Lifejackets on Recreational Craft) Amendment Bill passed its third reading in Parliament last night, with unanimous support across the House.
The bill makes wearing a properly fitted lifejacket mandatory for all occupants on recreational boats 6m or less in length while the vessel is underway, introducing a blanket nationwide rule to replace the current patchwork of regional council bylaws.
It was signed into law after receiving its royal assent.
“Passing this bill has been described as the biggest drowning-prevention opportunity in a generation,” said the outgoing National MP.
“Officials estimate that an average of 10 lives per year could be saved.
“Tasmania had a 60% reduction in their first year of policy introduction and we are looking for the same benefits.”
In 2024, nearly all craft-related drowning deaths in New Zealand involved people not wearing a lifejacket – 18 out of 20, or 90%.
Many regions – including Waikato, Northland and the Bay of Plenty – have implemented their own compulsory lifejacket bylaws for those travelling on vessels up to 6m while underway, removing skipper discretion in response to the statistics.
With regional data showing all watercraft-related fatalities in Auckland between 2021 and 2025 involved people not wearing a lifejacket, Auckland Council proposed its own bylaw earlier this year in an effort to close the gap.
“Removing variability with a nationally consistent policy will benefit water users and monitoring authorities,” Reti said.
“All existing exemptions such as surfers and sports events are retained.”
Reti said Maritime NZ would work to educate Kiwis about the new rules with the Safer Boating Forum, which includes Coastguard and Water Safety NZ alongside other stakeholders.
Proponents such as Duncan Garner have argued the lack of a “tough new water safety law” is contributing to a high annual drowning toll, noting that 82% of victims are men.
Meanwhile, Carl McOnie from Coastguard Tautiaki Moana was delighted to hear the bill had passed.
“This reflects a big part of what Coastguard and our water safety sector partners have been calling for – one clear, national rule that requires people to wear a lifejacket, not just carrying one, whenever you’re on the water,” Mconie said.
“We’re pleased the bill passed its third reading, because we know it means better outcomes for people out on the water.
“Coastguard volunteers respond to calls for help on the water year-round and know how much rides on whether a lifejacket was worn.
“This change will mean far more people have the chance of survival when something goes wrong on the water.
“Every year our volunteers see the heartbreak of preventable tragedies. A lifejacket keeps someone afloat and visible, and that is what gives our crews the chance to reach them and bring them home to their loved ones.”
McOnie said the message from Coastguard remained the same no matter what size of vessel someone is on: “Just wear it – lifejackets save lives”.
In advocating for such measures, Coastguard Water Safety NZ has pointed to data showing an average of 12 lives could be saved across New Zealand waters each year if lifejacket use was compulsory, not discretionary.
“You’re three times more likely to survive [in the water] if you’re wearing a lifejacket,” Water Safety NZ chief executive Glen Scanlon told the Herald in May.
“It’s that simple.”
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