Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Maritime Transport Act 1994

Salvage

219A: Salvage for saving life

You could also call this:

"Helping to save lives at sea or in the air can earn you a reward called salvage."

If you help save people's lives from a ship or plane in New Zealand waters, you can get paid for your services. You can also get paid if you save people from a New Zealand ship or plane in other waters. The amount of money you get is called salvage, and it's paid by the owner of the ship, plane, or cargo you helped save.

The salvage for saving lives is more important than other claims for salvage. This means you get paid first for saving lives. If the ship, plane, or cargo is destroyed, or there's not enough money to pay you, the Minister might give you some money from a special fund.

You get this money because you helped save people's lives, and it's a way to say thank you for your help. The Minister decides how much money you get, and it's paid from money that Parliament has set aside for this purpose.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM336950.

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219: Apportionment between salvors, or

"How salvors share the money they are owed for helping in a rescue at sea"

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220: Actions for indemnity, or

"Get someone to pay you back for salvage costs within 2 years if they agreed to cover it"

Part 17Salvage

219ASalvage for saving life

  1. Where services are rendered—

  2. wholly or in part within New Zealand waters in saving life from any ship or aircraft, whether or not a New Zealand ship or an aircraft registered in or belonging to New Zealand; or
    1. elsewhere in saving life from any New Zealand ship or any aircraft which is registered in or belongs to New Zealand,—
        1. there is payable to the salvor by the owner of the ship or aircraft or cargo or equipment saved a reasonable amount of salvage, to be determined in case of dispute in the manner set out in subsections (2) and (3).

      1. Salvage in respect of the preservation of life, when payable by the owners of the ship or aircraft, is payable in priority to all other claims for salvage.

      2. Where the ship or aircraft and its cargo and equipment are destroyed, or the value of it is insufficient, after payment of the actual expenses incurred, to pay the amount of salvage payable in respect of the preservation of life, the Minister may in his or her discretion award to the salvor, out of any money appropriated by Parliament for the purpose, such sum as he or she thinks fit in whole or part satisfaction of any amount of salvage so left unpaid.

      Compare
      • 1952 No 49 s 356
      Notes
      • Section 219A: inserted, on , by section 23 of the Maritime Transport Amendment Act 1999 (1999 No 68).