Moorings

The Mooring Line •
Moorings for rent and sale •
Resource consents for moorings •
Consent applications, changes and costs •
Triennial inspections •
Your responsiblities | Safety tips

The Mooring Line

Read the latest mooring news in our newsletter.

The Mooring Line Newsletter - July 2024
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Moorings for sale or rent

Waikato Regional Council provides a listing service for consented moorings located in the Waikato region.

Other options to buy, sell or rent a mooring

Look in the local newspaper.
Visit the TradeMe website.
Look in the marine section of the NZ Herald, or Trade and Exchange.
Place an ad in one of these options.

Browse listings or ask us to list your mooring

Moorings need resource consents

All swing and pole moorings within the Waikato coastal marine area and inland waterways are classified as structures and require resource consent from Waikato Regional Council.

Find out more about consent requirements and costs, below.

Factsheet - Moorings
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Resource consent applications, changes and costs

Any new mooring in the Waikato region will require resource consent.

First you'll need to contact the Maritime Services Team to discuss site availability. You'll then need to complete the appropriate resource consent application forms (depending on whether your mooring is in a zoned area or not) and send them to Waikato Regional Council for processing before installing a new mooring.

Waikato Regional Council must grant resource consent for mooring applications in a zoned mooring area (provided the relevant terms and conditions are met).

Consent may or may not be granted for an outside of zoned mooring area mooring application.

Find out about the consent application process, the costs involved, and download the necessary application.
All negotiations for the sale of moorings are between the mooring consent holder and the purchaser.

The mooring consent must be transferred into the new owner’s name. Both parties need to complete and sign the transfer form. Verify that the new vessel does not exceed the overall length specified in the consent.

THERE IS A FEE TO TRANSFER YOUR CONSENT. Check the amount on the transfer form, or you can contact us and ask how much it costs.

Learn more about consent transfers, including transfer forms.
You can apply to change the conditions of a mooring resource consent, for example if you intend to moor a larger vessel. You cannot change the resource consent duration.

You will need to complete a change of mooring consent application form and have this assessed by the local Maritime Officer. Once this has been assessed by the Maritime Officer, the change to mooring consent application forms will need to be sent to Waikato Regional Council for processing.

Download a change to mooring consent application form here.
If you no longer require your mooring and its consent you should complete a surrender form and forward to Waikato Regional Council for processing. You must remove the mooring structure from the coastal marine area.

Learn more about consent surrenders, including transfer forms.

Mooring consent costs

Mooring triennial inspections

You must have your mooring structure inspected by a recognised inspector once every three years. See our list of mooring services providers servicing our region.

You need to provide Waikato Regional Council with a signed report from a recognised inspector confirming the mooring is in compliance with the resource consent conditions.
You pay the costs associated with repairs and maintenance of the mooring directly to the service provider, not Waikato Regional Council (please refer to full responsibilities in your consent conditions).
The consent conditions must be complied with otherwise this may result in enforcement action.
Ensure your mooring structure is kept in a sound and suitable condition at all times. Make sure you check it regularly between inspections.

Your responsiblities | Safety tips

Select a tab

Your responsibilities
Stay safe!

Your responsibilities

Do

Inform Waikato Regional Council of any change of address or change of vessel information.

Ensure your vessel is securely fixed to the mooring and not the buoy rope.

Have the mooring structure inspected by a recognised inspector once every three years.

Tell the Maritime Officer if your vessel is damaged while occupying the mooring.

Make sure the mooring buoy is clearly marked with the correct mooring number.

Contact the Maritime Officer if there is a vessel on your mooring that does not have authority to be there.

Pay consent charges and navigation safety fees associated with your mooring.
Don't

Lend your mooring without approval from the Maritime Officer.

Sell your mooring without going through the transfer of mooring consent process.

Relocate or move your mooring without completing a change of mooring consent application form and obtaining approval from Waikato Regional Council.

Remove any unauthorised vessel off your mooring without approval from the Maritime Officer.

Discharge waste from your vessel.

Stay safe!

Here’s some tips and ideas for mooring owners and renters to help prevent any mooring mishaps happening.
- Be sure that any boat using your mooring is inside the consented length and is of suitable type for that mooring.
- The type of vessel you put on a mooring is important to consider, especially if you are considering a catamaran rather than a mono-hull. Mono-hulls tend to swing and point into the tide, while cats often swing and point towards the wind.
  
  Moorings are often close enough that adjacent boats will swing into each other if they’re not pointing in the same direction."
  
  Contact the local harbourmaster. They can provide you with the maximum vessel length for a specific mooring. Keep a clear record of contact details, vessel size and payment terms of those using your mooring.
- Consider adding a float mid head-rope to prevent it tangling when left for longer periods.
  
  Ensure floats are visible at all times.
  
  Ensure the head rope is protected from wear by checking that the rope protector is in place and won’t slip out of position.
- Check depth regularly as a depth change may require a structure change to keep the mooring safe.
  
  If the mooring is heavy then the bottom chain may be getting buried so pull up on the chain to free it from the sea bed.
  
  Have your mooring inspected every three years by a recognised mooring service provider.
- Be sure to locate your mooring on your plotter.
  
  Adding it to your phone’s mapping app or chart means you’ll be able to find it even if your boat navigation goes down.

Mooring consent costs
Consent application/renewal fee (inside a zoned mooring area).	$517.50 A new consent will be valid for approximately 15 years.
Consent application/renewal fee (outside a zoned mooring area).	$1000.00 initial deposit You will be charged for all actual and reasonable costs associated with processing the application. Your deposit will offset these costs.
Annual charge (Administration & monitoring).	$224.25
Annual charge (Maritime Officer activities and safety checks).	$149.50
Change to consent	$258.75
Transfer of ownership	$161
Surrender of consent	No charge
Triennial mooring inspection costs	Remain between mooring consent holder and the mooring inspection contractor.