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The dilapidated and closed Tinopai Wharf on Kaipara Harbour will be replaced with the help of a $1 million grant from the Regional Infrastructure Fund, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. “The wharf at Tinopai has been shut because of structural and safety issues for nearly two years. Replacing this important community asset will be good news for local fishers, boaties, and recreational users of the harbour,” Mr Jones says.
New Zealand has passed new legislation requiring everyone on recreational boats six metres or less to wear properly fitted lifejackets while underway, aiming to reduce preventable drownings. In 2025, 17 people died in recreational boating incidents, with 12 not wearing lifejackets, highlighting the urgent need for this safety measure. The law will take effect 28 days after Royal Assent, just in time for the summer season, supported by coordinated public information efforts from Maritime NZ and partners.
The Government is seeking public feedback on updating rules to make it easier to buy and process animals from local farmers, including relaxing the 28-day care requirement and potentially allowing wider sharing of homekill and hunted meat. Proposed changes include labeling homekill and hunted meat to indicate they haven't undergone standard retail checks, while maintaining provider requirements and the ban on selling such meat. The consultation aims to clarify vague rules, especially to enable hunters to donate meat to foodbanks, and runs until 5 October 2026.
Fisheries New Zealand is consulting the public on proposals to reopen limited recreational scallop fishing in Whangārei Harbour after a four-year closure, following surveys indicating sustainable scallop levels. The proposals include maintaining the current closure until broader management plans are finalized, allowing a limited seasonal scallop fishing starting this spring or summer, and establishing ongoing seasonal fishing from 2027 or 2028 with new fishing rules. Commercial scallop fishing will remain prohibited, and feedback is sought by 18 September to balance community benefits with sustainability.
The New Zealand Government is tightening controls on nitrous oxide to reduce harm and illegal use by requiring import approval from the Director-General of Health and classifying large canisters over 10 grams as psychoactive substances. These measures aim to support law enforcement in cracking down on illegal sales and imports, closing loopholes, and preventing recreational misuse while allowing legitimate medical and commercial use. Officials emphasize the serious health risks and public safety concerns associated with nitrous oxide misuse, including impaired judgment, neurological damage, and fatal crashes.
A ban on harvesting spiny rock lobster from the east coast of Northland to Hauraki Gulf, effective April 1, 2026, will create a network of closures to help rebuild the fishery. Recreational daily bag limits for spiny rock lobster and packhorse rock lobster are also reduced to prevent shifting fishing pressure, with strict enforcement and penalties for violations. These measures aim to restore ecological balance, address kina barrens, and ensure the fishery’s long-term sustainability.
Northland’s east coast spiny rock lobster fishery will be largely closed to both commercial and recreational fishing, with reduced recreational daily limits, to help restore lobster stocks and maintain marine ecosystem balance. These measures, including extended closures from Ohao Point to Cape Rodney and a nationwide limit on packhorse lobster catches, follow a voluntary commercial closure and aim to prevent fishers from shifting pressure to other species. After public consultation with over 600 submissions, the new regulations will take effect from April 1, 2026.