Recommendation Date
Recipient Name
MoT
Text
The Commission recommended that the Ministry of Transport revisit its decision with respect to recommendation 004/11 and take steps to mitigate the increase in the risk of competence-based accidents in the recreational maritime transport sector.
Reply Text
As reiterated in our response on the draft report of 23 November, the Ministry of Transport (the Ministry) remains of the view that safety education campaigns are the most appropriate way to share maritime knowledge with recreational boat users. The Ministry considers that the introduction of skipper licensing would be a blunt instrument for dealing with a basic safety issue.
This notwithstanding, the Ministry has consulted afresh with Maritime New Zealand on this recommendation and, as time and resources permit, Maritime New Zealand will explore the merits of initiatives such as skipper education and a licensing regime as potential mechanisms for achieving public safety objectives.
If new evidence suggests that introducing skipper licensing, in addition to educational campaigns, would make a material difference to recreational boating safety, the Ministry will reconsider its position.
This notwithstanding, the Ministry has consulted afresh with Maritime New Zealand on this recommendation and, as time and resources permit, Maritime New Zealand will explore the merits of initiatives such as skipper education and a licensing regime as potential mechanisms for achieving public safety objectives.
If new evidence suggests that introducing skipper licensing, in addition to educational campaigns, would make a material difference to recreational boating safety, the Ministry will reconsider its position.
Related Investigation(s)