The Governor-General may from time to time, by Order in Council, make regulations providing for the payment of marine safety charges in respect of ships entering any port in New Zealand or operating in New Zealand waters and prescribing the amounts of those charges.

The purpose of marine safety charges is to provide funding to enable the provision of—

Any such regulations may—

Nothing in this section limits the provisions of section 504 of this Act.

All pleasure yachts are totally exempt from liability in respect of marine safety charges.

Regulations made under this Act may—

The Secretary may appoint any person or the holder for the time being of any office (whether or not within the Public Service) to be the agent of the Secretary for the purpose of collecting marine safety charges or any class of marine safety charges.

Any appointment under subsection (1) of this section may—

Any agent who by any regulations made under this Act is liable for the payment of marine safety charges in respect of any ship may, out of the money received by the agent on account of that ship or belonging to the owner thereof, retain the amount of all such charges paid by the agent, together with any reasonable expenses incurred by reason of the payment of the charges or the agent’s liability to pay the charges.

This section shall apply only where a marine safety charge is payable to the Secretary or the Collector of Customs at any port, and not where the charge is payable to any other person or any agent of the Secretary.

If the person liable to pay any marine safety charge in respect of any ship fails to do so on demand, and the charge is not paid by any other person, the Secretary or the Collector may, in addition to any other remedy, enter on the ship and distrain the cargo and any other property belonging to or on board the ship, and may detain that distress until that charge is paid.

If payment of that charge is not made within the period of 3 days next following the distress, the Secretary or the Collector may at any time during the continuance of the nonpayment sell the cargo and other property distrained, and apply the proceeds in payment of that charge, together with all reasonable expenses incurred by the Secretary or the Collector under this section, paying the surplus (if any), on demand, to the owner or other person for the time being responsible for the management of the ship, or to the master of the ship.

Every person who receives any marine safety charge shall issue to the person paying the charge a receipt showing clearly the ship in respect of which the charge is paid and the period to which the charge relates.

Where, on demand being made by any person for the payment of any marine safety charge,—

the Secretary or any Collector of Customs may detain the ship concerned until the charge is paid or the receipt is produced.

Where a ship is detained under subsection (1) of this section, the Crown, the Secretary, and the Collector of Customs or any person acting under their direction or authority under this section shall not be liable for any loss or damage arising directly or indirectly from the detention of the ship unless it is proved to the satisfaction of a Court that the person acted in bad faith.”