Auckland drops daily anchorage fee after consultation with the marine industry
by Isla McKechnie 12 Jun 2019 08:45 NZST
Silvertip - Great Barrier Island NZ © NZ Marine
NZ Marine has worked closely with Auckland Council, resulting in a proposed daily an-choring fee for foreign flagged vessels in Auckland's harbour being dropped.
"Working with Auckland Council, experts from within our own organisation, NZ Marine, as well as from the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and Emirates Team New Zea-land, were able to help Council appreciate just how much of a deterrent a daily anchoring fee would have been to foreign vessels planning to visit our shores, particu-larly for the Prada and America's Cup in 2020/21" says Peter Busfield, executive direc-tor, NZ Marine.
NZ Marine is the country's marine industry association and represents marine compa-nies and their respective boat builders and apprentices.
Auckland Council has worked with the marine industry to drastically overhaul the plan; settling on a new, visitor-friendly small 12 month navigation and safety fee for vessels over 40 metres in length. The services covered by the fee include the Harbourmaster maintaining navigation aids and maritime safety functions, including assisting masters of visiting yachts over 40m in length to find sheltered and suitable anchorages amongst the more than 50 islands that fill Auckland's beautiful and renown Hauraki Gulf.
Vessels over 40 metres anchoring amongst these islands will be required to pay a one- off annual navigation and safety fee of $20 plus GST per metre of vessel under the new requirements.
Vessels using the shipping lane, transiting to and from a marina berth in Auckland, will not be required to pay the navigation and safety fee.
Auckland's Harbourmaster, Andrew Hayton, as a previous ship master himself, is confi-dent ship masters will be getting valuable service from his office. The Auckland Har-bourmaster's website will soon have details on the above requirements and other useful information relating to the many superyachts planning to visit Auckland in 2020 and 2021.
"It's great to continue presenting the welcoming and cohesive front for which New Zea-land is well known to the international superyacht community. With the 24 month Tem-porary Import Entry of vessels allowed, visiting vessels exempt of the local Goods and Services Tax for items that form part of the vessel, approved superyachts allowed to charter in NZ, over 100 superyacht marina berths and plenty of sheltered anchorages, we are keeping the door open for superyacht visitors from around the globe who want to experience our beautiful part of the world now and in the future," Busfield says.
Summary:
1. The proposed daily anchor tax has been dropped.
2. Superyachts over 40m in length anchoring in the Auckland region will be assisted by the Harbourmaster in regards to daily voyage plans and suitable anchoring locations and will be required to pay a one-off 12 month Navigation and Safety fee based on NZ$20 per metre of length plus GST.
3. The annual fee will not apply to superyachts proceeding directly to a marina berth in Auckland City or anchored for less than 24 hours while awaiting a berth.