Maritime Transport Act 1994

Plans and responses to protect marine environment from marine oil spills - Obligations and offences in respect of marine oil spill contingency plans

313: Compliance with marine oil spill contingency plans

You could also call this:

"Follow the plan to clean up oil spills in the sea"

If you are involved in a marine oil spill from a ship, an offshore installation, or an oil transfer site, you must follow the plan that has been prepared for that site. You have to do what the plan says, unless someone in charge tells you to do something different. This person in charge is called an on-scene commander.

If a marine oil spill happens in an area that a regional council is responsible for, you must follow the regional marine oil spill contingency plan. Again, you have to do what the plan says, unless the National On-Scene Commander tells you to do something different. You should follow the instructions of the person in charge to help deal with the spill.

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This page was last updated on 25 May 2025

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM337800.

312: Limits on powers of on-scene commander, or

"Rules that limit what the person in charge of a marine oil spill can do"

314: Offences in respect of marine oil spill contingency plans, or

"Breaking the rules about planning for oil spills at sea can get you in trouble"

Part 23Plans and responses to protect marine environment from marine oil spills
Obligations and offences in respect of marine oil spill contingency plans

313Compliance with marine oil spill contingency plans

In the event of a marine oil spill from a ship, an offshore installation, or an oil transfer site in respect of which there has been prepared under the marine protection rules a shipboard or site marine oil spill contingency plan, as the case may be, the provisions of the relevant shipboard or site marine oil spill contingency plan shall be complied with except to the extent that a person is directed otherwise by an on-scene commander.
In the event of a marine oil spill within the region of a regional council, the regional marine oil spill contingency plan shall be complied with except to the extent that a person is directed otherwise by the National On-Scene Commander.