With help from port communities throughout New Zealand, noisy vessels will soon be banned from our ports.

A letter signed by 13 New Zealand Ports CEOs was sent to shipping agents last month, signalling the implementation of new noise specifications from June 2024.

In that short time, 13 vessels were already added to the register, with 5 of these vessels classified.

The low-frequency rumble produced by container vessels visiting ports is a major issue for surrounding communities. The noise is produced by generators that don’t have silencers installed, as they are used to power the vessel while at berth.

The NZ Port staff have been collaborating on which vessels are problematic to their communities and working with experts on a solution.

Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Phil de Joux says it’s fantastic to see the result of the hard work and collaboration of the many parties involved.

“This issue affected the Lyttelton community, like many other port communities around New Zealand and required us to join together to get a result,” says Phil.

This is a significant step towards managing the impacts of low-frequency vessel noise.

“Community feedback remains integral to making strong and lasting change.”

The Ports have worked with sound experts Marshall Day to create New Zealand Ship Noise Specifications based on the global NEPTUNE guidance.

Vessels will be monitored using a standardised methodology and obtain a noise score. A vessel’s noise score must meet a threshold to be allowed to berth in New Zealand.

The letter sent to shipping lines states that any container vessel deemed noisy by Ports and all new container vessels entering New Zealand services from June next year must either comply with the specifications or have reactive silencers fitted to one of the engines.

If vessels cannot meet these requirements, they will be refused entry.

The noise specifications specifically target container vessels, as other vessels, such as those carrying bulk cargo, generally do not raise such concerns when visiting.

LPC takes our role in the harbour seriously and will continue collaborating with ports in New Zealand and Australia to monitor and report vessel noise.