The Otago Regional Council regulates ports, harbours, waterways, and maritime activities across the Otago region under the Maritime Transport Act (1994). The council's Harbourmaster team covers all of Otago, apart from the Queenstown Lakes District, which has its own Harbourmaster under the district council. The team operates two vessels on the water: Āwhina, an 8.5-metre RIB, and Kaitiaki, a 7-metre McLay.
The Harbourmaster team's responsibilities span a broad range of maritime functions, including overseeing maritime safety, promoting safe boating practices, and maintaining safe-boating signage at local boat ramps. The team also ensures navigation aids, lights, and beacons are properly maintained, and removes hazards from the water such as fallen trees and abandoned vessels. Keeping lines of communication open with water users, other stakeholders, Port Otago, and emergency services forms a central part of the role, as does managing commercial shipping safety in Otago Harbour. The team reviews applications for on-water events, responds to marine oil spill incidents, updates boaties on changes to local rules, and issues Harbourmaster instructions as required.
The team trains regularly with Maritime NZ to keep skills current. One example is the oil spill exercise, which brings together Port Otago staff and emergency services to practise using an oil spill kit. Any spill in Otago's harbour poses a real threat to the region's abundant wildlife, including seals, orca, albatross, and many other species unique to Otago.
Over summer, the three-person team splits its time between coastal Otago and the lakes and rivers of Central Otago, with the shared goal of making sure everyone gets home safely after a day out on the water. As part of that effort, the team has recently designed and installed new signage at boat ramps throughout the region. The signs reinforce boating rules and remind people to check, clean, and dry vessels before moving them between water bodies, helping prevent freshwater pests such as lagarosiphon and didymo from spreading through Otago's waterways.
In 2026 the Otago Regional Council will carry out a region-wide consultation on proposed changes to the navigational bylaw. The proposals include requirements for the carriage of Automatic Identification System (AIS) equipment and amendments to commercial traffic management in the Victoria Channel of Otago Harbour. Most of the existing bylaw remains fit for purpose, with only minor editorial adjustments needed. ORC Harbourmaster Steve Rushbrook says, "We'd appreciate it if Otago boaties kept an eye out for an opportunity to give their feedback in the new year. In the meantime, follow the safer boating code and we'll see you out on the water this summer."
