Mooring Licences will soon be issued for moorings within the designated mooring areas identified in the Tasman Resource Management Plan.
These areas are in 12 sites across Tasman.
The new system is designed to streamline the process of establishing and managing moorings within designated mooring areas, eliminating the need for a Coastal Permit (Resource Consent). For moorings located outside these areas, the existing rules remain in effect, and a Coastal Permit will still be required.
Some existing moorings within mooring areas have been issued Coastal Permits under the Resource Management Act 1991. These moorings may remain in place until the permit expires. After expiration (or earlier if preferred) the mooring owner must apply for a Mooring Licence from the Tasman Harbourmaster to continue using the location. Under the Navigational Safety Bylaw 2024, current mooring owners are given priority for mooring allocations.
For mooring owners whose Coastal Permits expired after 21 July 2022 and have not been renewed, continued use of the mooring is permitted until applications for mooring licences open in those areas.
Note: "Continued use" is only allowed if the conditions of the expired permit are met and the mooring remains well maintained. This includes regular inspections and submitting inspection reports to the Tasman Harbourmaster as required by the permit conditions.
Mooring licences may usually be granted for a period up to 5 years, with an annual monitoring and administration fee.
Applications for a Mooring Licence may be granted, declined, or subject to any conditions imposed by the Harbourmaster. Any Mooring Licence holder that is dissatisfied with any condition(s) imposed by the Harbourmaster may request a reconsideration of that decision, by submitting a request in writing to the Council within 15 working days of the decision.
The reconsideration will be considered by a Review Panel, with a decision to be given in writing within 20 working days of receiving the request.
There will be a waitlist for some popular mooring areas.
Any person may request in writing to be placed on the waitlist for any Mooring Area, payment of an administration fee is required. The waitlist will be maintained and administered by the Harbourmaster Office on a first-in, first-served basis.
Once a mooring application is received by the Harbourmaster's Office, an invoice will be issued. Processing will begin only after the application fee has been paid.
Applications for mooring licences will open progressively, area by area. This phased approach will enable the Harbourmaster Office team to manage applications efficiently while ensuring quality service.
| Phase 1 - May 2025 | Phase 2 - August 2025 | Phase 3 - November 2025 | Phase 4 - February 2026 |
| Motueka 1 | Kaiteriteri 2 | Kaiteriteri 1 | Torrent Bay |
| Mangarākau | Boundary Bay | Motueka 2 | Milnthorpe |
| Stephens Bay | Māpua | Tapu Bay | Otuwhero |
Please note the dates above are approximate and may change.
Mangarākau
Motueka 1
Stephens Bay
Boundary Bay
Kaiteriteri 2
Māpua
Kaiteriteri 1
Motueka 2
Tapu Bay
Milnethorpe
Otuwhero
Torrent Bay
Applications for mooring licences will open from May 2025. An online application form will be available then.
All moorings located within designated mooring areas require a Mooring Licence from the Tasman District Council.
Related information
All moorings located outside designated mooring areas require a Coastal Permit or other approval under the Coastal Plan from the Tasman District Council.
Mooring inspections should be carried out every two years. There may be specific inspection frequency outlined in your Coastal Permit conditions or Mooring Licence conditions.
Download the Swing Mooring Inspection Form (pdf 143 KB)
Mooring inspections are required for both Coastal Permits and Mooring Licences.
Mooring inspections can be carried out by capable person/s, it’s recommended to use a professional diver who specialise in mooring inspections.
Mooring inspectors in Tasman region
If you operate professional mooring inspection services and would like to be included on the list of inspectors, please contact the Tasman Harbourmaster.
Mooring inspection reports should be emailed to [email protected] , dropped off at any Tasman District Council office or posted to: Harbourmaster Office, Tasman District Council, Private Bag 4, Richmond, 7050.
Reports must be submitted within 14 days of the inspection.Remember to quote your Coastal Permit or Mooring ID number.If you don't send an inspection report, the following consequences may apply:
The Harbourmaster can provide details of standard council-approved mooring blocks and systems upon request. Non-standard installations must be certified as fit for purpose by a suitably qualified and experienced engineer.
These specifications apply throughout Tasman District and form the benchmark against which the Council assesses mooring applications and compliance.
Please note that standard gravity block swing moorings are now standardised into three classes:
Other systems (such as screw anchors, ground-chain arrays etc) are also acceptable, but again subject to individual certification by a suitably experienced Chartered Professional Engineer.
Use these specifications to determine swing radius for the depth at proposed site, and also to determine block size and embedding needs based on the composition of the seabed at the proposed site.
For more information on specifications, especially for high current areas, please contact the Harbourmaster office [email protected]
Anchoring (where the anchor is taken with you when you depart) is permitted anywhere except in the following locations:
Vessels exceeding 40 meters in length overall (LOA) must have approval from the Tasman Harbourmaster. Tasman has specific anchoring sites for large vessels.
Marinas are located at Port Tarakohe and Motueka, operated by the Motueka Power Boat Club, Motueka Yacht and Cruising Club, and the Motueka Peninsula Marine Society. Some more information can be found here.
