Lifejacket Call for Change

A new phase of public submissions are now open for the Life Jackets for Children and Young Persons Bill.

The Transport and Infrastructure Committee is calling for additional public submissions on proposed changes to the Life Jackets for Children and Young Persons Bill.

This is a critical opportunity to help shape national boating safety law - and potentially extend lifejacket requirements to people of all ages.

Submissions close: 11.59 pm, Wednesday 15 April 2026

Thank you to everyone who submitted on the original Bill in December 2025 and made oral submissions.

Submit your feedback

At a glance

The Transport & Infrastructure Committee is considering changes that could extend lifejacket requirements beyond children to include all ages
The Bill would apply only to vessels 6 metres and under when underway
Coastguard, alongside Water Safety New Zealand and sector partners, strongly support extending lifejackets requirements to all ages
However, we do not support limiting the rule to vessels 6 metres and under, as vessel length is not a reliable safety measure
Public submissions will influence what the final law could look like

Have your say here

Why this change is being considered

During the first round of submissions, the Transport and Infrastructure Committee heard clear evidence that most boating fatalities in New Zealand involve adults who unexpectedly end up in the water.

In response, the Committee has sought and received permission from the Business Committee to consider an out‑of‑scope amendment to the Bill. This amendment would extend the requirement to wear a lifejacket to all occupants of recreational craft 6 metres or less in waterline length when underway.

The Committee has acknowledged that this represents a significant shift from the Bill’s original policy intent. Given the scale of the proposed change, the Chair has now called for an additional six‑week period of public submissions on the amendment, closing 15 April 2026.

Clear rules save lives

"We absolutely welcome the move to extend lifejacket requirements to all ages. But limiting that protection to vessels six metres and under doesn’t make sense from a safety perspective. It’s difficult to justify a rule where a child must wear a lifejacket on a 5.9-metre boat, but not a 6.1-metre one.”

- Coastguard CEO Carl McOnie

Coastguard's position

Coastguard volunteers see first-hand the heartbreak that comes when someone isn’t wearing a lifejacket. That lived experience is why we have consistently advocated for mandatory wearing of lifejackets - not just carrying them - as the most effective way to prevent drowning.

We strongly support strengthening the Bill to include people of all ages. But a rule that applies only to vessels 6 metres and under does not go far enough.

Vessel length alone is not a reliable indicator of risk.

People can - and do - fall overboard from vessels of all sizes. Emergencies don’t check a tape measure. And the data shows that nearly one in five craft‑related drowning fatalities occurred on vessels over 6 metres.

Keeping the rule simple

A length‑based rule would also introduce unnecessary complexity. Maritime Rule Part 91 does not rely on vessel length when addressing lifejacket use. Adding a new threshold risks creating confusion at the very moment when clarity matters most.

If we want safer behaviour on the water, the rule needs to be simple, consistent and easy to understand and follow. For example, requiring lifejackets to be worn on all recreational craft whenever it's underway.

If exceptions are needed for lower‑risk situations, these can be addressed through clear drafting and guidance (such as when vessels are anchored, moored, or when people are in an enclosed cabin), while still ensuring people wear lifejackets when the risk is greatest, which is underway.

The case for change

Source: Water Safety New Zealand

In 2026 (year-to-date), two people drowned on crafts without lifejackets.
In 2025, 12 people drowned on crafts without lifejackets.
In 2024, 20 drowned on crafts - 18 weren’t wearing lifejackets.
If everyone wore one, an average of 12 lives could be saved every year.
Between 2000 and 2025:
- 476 people drowned in a craft-related fatality
  - 362 people who drowned in a craft-related fatality were not wearing a lifejacket (76% of all boat/craft fatalities)
  - Only 11 people (3%) were under the age of 15 among those who drowned without a lifejacket – with fatalities occurring on both vessels under 6 metres (five) and over 6 metres (six).
  - While many occurred on vessels 6 metres and under, 93 deaths occurred on larger recreational vessels (77 of those not wearing lifejackets)
Most watercraft fatalities involve men over 40.

From Coastguard’s available vessel profile Callsign data:

54% of vessels are under 6 metres
46% are 6 metres or longer

A rule limited to ≤6 metres would therefore exclude a substantial share of recreational craft, particularly vessels in the 6–15 metre range, which are commonly used for fishing, cruising and family boating.

People unexpectedly end up in the water on all types of vessels - through falls, sudden weather changes, bar crossings, medical events or collisions.

These numbers tell a clear story: Drowning risk is not limited by age, and it is not limited by vessel length.

New Zealanders shouldn't be comfortable accepting preventable drownings on larger vessels by design.

Legislation works:

Pool fencing laws cut child drownings by almost 80%.
After mandatory lifejacket laws:
- Tasmania: fatalities dropped from 45 to 19 (before/after legislation)
- Victoria: lifejacket wearing rates rose from 22% to 63%
Waikato: 90% compliance eight years after local bylaw (Maritime NZ)

Why your submission matters

Public feedback will help the Committee decide whether to:

Extend lifejacket requirements to all ages
Remove vessel length from the equation and include all recreational craft
Refine how the rule applies in practice
Ensure the final law is clear, consistent, and effective

The next few weeks are critical.

How to make a submission

Visit the New Zealand Parliament website:
- Life Jackets for Children and Young Persons Bill – Make a submission
- How to make a submission
Make your submission by 11.59 pm, Wednesday 15 April 2026

Submissions can be short. What matters is that your voice is heard.

What you might comment on

You may wish to comment on some or all of the following, based on your own views and experience:

Support for a requirement that all occupants wear lifejackets, not just children
Concern that vessel length should not determine who is protected
Acknowledgement that fatalities occur on both small and larger recreational vessels
The difficulty of justifying why a child or adult must wear a lifejacket on a vessel under 6 metres, but not on a vessel just over that length
The need for a simple, national rule that people can easily understand and follow
Support for education, affordability, and a sensible transition period to help people adapt to any change in the law

What is the Life Jackets for Children and Young Persons Bill?

The Life Jackets for Children and Young Persons Bill is a Members’ Bill that proposes changes to New Zealand’s lifejacket laws for recreational boating.
As originally drafted, it would require anyone under the age of 15 to always wear a lifejacket on a recreational craft 6 metres or less in waterline length.
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee is now considering whether that protection should be extended to people of all ages.
Why is the Committee considering extending lifejacket requirements to adults?
During the select committee process, the Committee received strong evidence that:
- Most boating fatalities involve adults, not children
- People often drown after unexpectedly ending up in the water
- The average age of people who drown in boating incidents is around 50
The Committee also heard first‑hand accounts where children survived because they were wearing lifejackets, while adults on the same vessel drowned because they were unable to access or put on lifejackets once in the water.
What is the proposed amendment?

The Committee is considering an amendment that would require lifejackets to be worn by all occupants of a recreational craft 6 metres or less in waterline length, when the vessel is underway.
Because this goes beyond the Bill’s original scope, the Committee has opened a six‑week period for additional public submissions.
Why is Coastguard concerned about limiting the rule to vessels 6 metres and under?
Vessel length is not a reliable indicator of drowning risk.
Between 2000 and 2025:
- 336 watercraft‑related fatalities have occurred in New Zealand
- While many occurred on vessels 6 metres and under, 70 occurred on larger recreational vessels
Coastguard’s available vessel profile Callsign data shows that nearly half of recreational vessels are 6 metres or longer. A rule limited to ≤6 metres would therefore exclude a substantial share of vessels commonly used for fishing, cruising and family boating.
Is Coastguard saying lifejackets should be worn everywhere, all the time?
No. Coastguard supports a practical, risk‑based approach that focuses on when people are most likely to end up in the water.
We believe there is room in the legislation and guidance to recognise low‑risk situations, such as:
- when vessels are securely moored or anchored
- when people are inside an enclosed cabin on larger recreational vessels
These can be addressed without weakening the core safety objective.
Do lifejackets really help? People have drowned while wearing them.

Yes! Craft users are three times more likely to survive if wearing a lifejacket. Fatalities where lifejackets were worn often involve other factors (e.g., fast-flowing rivers, incorrect fit, failure to secure crotch straps, medical events or inflatable jackets not activated). Properly fitted lifejackets dramatically improve survival chances.
What does “when underway” actually mean?

“Underway” means when a vessel is moving through the water.
Not when a vessel is moored, anchored, or tied up or when people are resting, eating, or sleeping on board while the vessel is stationary.
The focus is on the moments when the risk of unexpectedly entering the water is highest.
What is a recreational craft?

A recreational craft is any vessel used for leisure rather than commercial purposes. This includes small and large boats, dinghies, and manually powered craft.
Examples: powerboats, yachts, dinghies, kayaks, canoes, tenders, paddleboards.
The term “recreational” refers to how the craft is used, not just its size. While some safety rules differentiate based on length (e.g., stricter requirements for vessels 6 m and under), our position is that mandatory lifejacket use should apply to all recreational craft, regardless of size.
How will this be enforced if the law changes?
Enforcement would sit with Harbourmasters and Maritime New Zealand, supported by education and awareness campaigns.
Coastguard supports practical, proportionate enforcement, including:
- education‑first approaches
- clear guidance for boaties
- transition periods to support compliance
What is the current version of Maritime Rule Part 91?

Maritime Rule Part 91 sets the basic safety rules for recreational boating in New Zealand. At present, the rule requires carriage of personal flotation devices (PFDs) - meaning you must have a lifejacket on board for each person, but not necessarily be wearing one. This applies to most recreational craft, including pleasure craft and manually powered craft used in commercial operations such as sea kayak rentals.
Lifejackets must currently be worn only in situations of heightened risk, such as rough conditions, poor visibility, or when instructed by the skipper. Some craft are exempt from carrying lifejackets altogether, such as sailboards when the sailor is wearing a wetsuit, and people training or competing in certain sporting events where a support vessel is present.
The rule also sets standards for the types of lifejackets allowed, including specialised devices used for paddle craft.
Source: Maritime New Zealand
While requiring lifejackets to be carried is important, it doesn’t prevent drownings when incidents happen suddenly - and they often do. Many fatalities occur close to shore, in calm conditions, or on “quick trips” where people assumed they didn’t need to put a lifejacket on. Moving from carriage to mandatory wearing ensures people already have a lifejacket on in the moments that matter most. International evidence shows this simple shift saves lives, which is why Coastguard supports extending mandatory lifejacket use to everyone on all recreational craft.
What about the current exclusions and exceptions to wearing a lifejacket in Part 91?

There are practical reasons users such as surfers, windsurfers, divers on small dive boats and some adventure sports are not required to wear a lifejacket, e.g., when a wetsuit is worn. We are not suggesting these be removed.

Lifejackets save lives - let's make it law

What you might comment on