Maritime Event
Pursuant to section 200A (3) (d) of the Maritime Transport Act 1994, I give notice that I have received from the Auckland Regional Council an application to declare the Volvo Ocean Race to be an event to which section 200B of the Maritime Transport Act 1994 applies for the period
from 0800 hours to 2359 hours on 27 January 2002, and that I intend to make a declaration to that effect by notice in the New Zealand Gazette.
Area Affected by the Application
The area in respect of which the application is made is defined as follows:
All those waters bounded to the west by the Auckland Harbour Bridge, to the south by the shoreline from the Auckland Harbour Bridge eastwards to Achilles Point, to the east by a line joining Achilles Point to Rangitoto Island Wharf thence along the western and northern shorelines of Rangitoto Island, extended to the northern shoreline of Motatapu Island to Billy Goat Point, thence on a line joining Billy Goat Point to the northern tip of Rakino Island, and thence along a line to Shearer Rock. To the north by a line joining Shearer Rock with the southern tip of Tiritiri Matangi Island, thence to the south-eastern tip of Whangaparoa Peninsula, thence westwards and southwards along the Whangaparoa Peninsula and the East Coast Bays coastline to North Head and thence westward from North Head to the Auckland Harbour Bridge.
Proposed Conditions and Requirements
It is intended that the following rules will apply to the area described above:
1. No large vessel (vessels of over 500 tonnes UMC) movements will be permitted from 1000 hours to 1500 hours.
2. A "Start Box" will be established at 1000 hours in
an area bounded by 36o 49' 05? S 174o 49' 07? E, 36o48' 80? S 174o 49' 76? E, 36o 49' 90? S 174o 49' 42? E and 36o 40' 57? S and 174o 50' 17? E.
3. In the area between Westhaven Marina and the "Start Box" area to the south west of Rough Rock Buoy, all vessels will be limited to a maximum speed of 10 knots from 0930 hours to 1400 hours.
4. Only competing yachts and support craft, authorised media craft, umpires and patrol/enforcement vessels will be permitted within the "Start Box" area.
5. No spectator craft will be permitted:
(a) Within 2000 metres of the north-western end of the "Start Box" ;
(b) Within 200 metres of the turning marks from the time that the race starts until the time that the last competing yacht has cleared those marks.
6. No spectator and media craft may approach within
50 metres of the competing yachts from the time they leave the Viaduct Basin until they exit the designated area.
7. Temporary prohibited anchorage areas will be established as follows:
North West of the "Start Box" in an area
bounded by 36o 49' 05? S 174o 49' 07? E, 36o 48' 80? S 174o 49' 76? E, 36o 46' 18? S 174o 48' 24? E and 36o 47' 06? S 174o 47' 83? E.
In the vicinity of turning marks: inside a radius of 200 metres from each turning mark.
The Auckland Regional Council may:
1. Order the suspension or abandonment of racing operations if, in the opinion of the Council's Harbourmaster, adequate levels of public safety cannot be guaranteed. Such powers would be exercised in conjunction with the New Zealand Police and in consultation with event organisers and Ports of Auckland Limited; and
2. For the purpose of protecting the safety of the public, specify and vary conditions contained in the notice.
Proposed Hours of Operation
The proposed period to which the notice applies is
0800 hours to 2359 hours on 27 January 2002. Except as specified, all rules will apply from 1000 hours.
Means of Enforcement
Compliance with the above conditions and requirements will be enforced by appointed enforcement officers, as defined in section 200B (6) of the Maritime Transport Act 1994.
Under section 200B (5) of the Maritime Transport Act 1994, any person in charge of a ship, craft or seaplane who contravenes this notice commits an infringement offence and is liable to the relevant penalty prescribed in the Maritime Transport (Infringement Fees for Offences Relating to Major Maritime Events) Regulations 1999.
Comments on this Notice
Any person or organisation may forward written comments on this proposal to:
Roger Brown
Ministry of Transport
P.O. Box 3175
Wellington.
Provided such comments are received at the above address no later than 5.00 p.m. on Thursday, 15 November 2001.
Comments are submitted on the presumption that they may be made public.
If submitters do not wish this to occur, a statement to that effect should be made.
Dated at Wellington this 15th day of October 2001.
MARK GOSCHE, Minister of Transport.