industry Insights

Dawson & Associates has collaborated with the New Zealand Federation of Commercial Fishers to develop a suite of contract templates for the commercial fishing industry, to be a resource for Federation members.

Dawson & Associates is pleased to have assisted with the sale of the M/Y Aroha - a complicated transaction with a vigorous negotiating process.

Peter Dawson reflects on some of the sale and purchase contracts he sees each month and his surprise at how skinny the contracts are, given the sums and complexities involved in some of these transactions.

Last week Troy Stade presented to delegates at the New Zealand Federation of Commercial Fishers conference in Wellington about recent changes to employment law as it relates to contractor status.

Peter Dawson, director at Dawson & Associates, recently presented to delegates at the New Zealand Maritime Transport Association Conference, diving into vessel sale and purchase agreements and the common areas of difficulty for parties to the transaction.

Troy Stade, Associate at Dawson & Associates recently provided a legal update at this year’s New Zealand Maritime Transport Association Conference in Wellington, focusing on developments in the application of the Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA).

New Zealand Customs has formalised the existing requirement for customs approval to be obtained before marketing or selling a small vessel when it is in New Zealand on a TIE, with the introduction of a new form.

The High Court has dismissed the appeal of the former CEO of Ports of Auckland, upholding both conviction and sentence for failing, as an officer, to exercise due diligence under s 44 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.

Recreational boaters regularly stray into marine restricted areas, for which the penalties can be harsh. New high protection areas in the Gulf will complicate matters. Read Peter Dawson’s article, published in the Boating NZ magazine December 2025 issue.

The New Zealand Ministry of Transport (MOT) has signed a contract with 44 South Shipping Limited Partnership to build a new vessel in China that will serve the Chatham Islands for at least 20 years, replacing the aging Southern Tiare.

Recreational boating and water activities are popular in New Zealand and it is increasingly common to see headlines of recreational users involved in accidents and incidents, often because users are unaware of, or fail to follow, maritime rules and local harbour bylaws.

Dawson & Associates is sponsoring Waka Ama athlete Callum Sebualala-O'Leary in his quest to represent Aotearoa/New Zealand at the World Sprint Championships in Singapore in August 2026.

The Fast Track expert panel has issued a draft decision proposing to decline Trans Tasman Resources’ application to mine iron rich sands from the seabed in the South Taranaki Bight under the Fast Track Approvals Act 2024.

When purchasing or chartering a superyacht in New Zealand, Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a critical factor that is sometimes underestimated. Our article explains some of the complexities.

Late last year our associate, Troy Stade, attended an event hosted by Ocean Independence and Rolls-Royce Auckland to celebrate Ocean Independence’s strategic partnership with Sunreef Yachts.

New Zealand’s fragile coastal shipping industry has a dwindling number of aging and unreliable vessels on our coast, and more leaving service each year. The Government’s Coastal Resilience Fund has been put together to address this crisis, but a valuable solution already exists within our legislation.

Recently our newest team member, Petrina Sheldon, was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand.

Vessel sale and purchase agreements involve a significant amount of documentation, and it's easy to overlook when additional requirements might come into play.

New Zealand Customs has recently revised their approach to granting permission for small craft to be marketed for sale while under a TIE, and vessel owners need to be aware of this approach so that they do not breach the conditions.

In a departure from his usual legal writing, Troy has had a travel writing article (with a maritime flavour) published in the latest edition of the Professional Skipper magazine.

The medical and training ship YWAM PNG has just been refloated after a significant refit at Austal’s Philippines yard.

Dawson & Associates is pleased to have assisted with the successful vessel sale and purchase transaction of the Southern Cross.

Dawson & Associates successfully concluded the purchase of the Ocean Freja, for a New Zealand commercial fishing client - a transaction with a unique set of challenges and nuances.

Dawson and Associates were privileged to act to for the Buyer of the SY Sweet Caroline, now renamed Silent World.

The 2025 Seafood New Zealand conference was held in Nelson earlier this month. The Dawson & Associates team enjoyed the opportunity to connect with industry colleagues, meet new people and hear about new and exciting ideas and initiatives in the industry.

Customs have recently announced a rule change for visiting yachts to New Zealand and the way that the Temporary Import Entry (‘TIE’) scheme works, with implications for the New Zealand marine industry, and situations where a foreign owned vessel is being sold to a foreign buyer.

Our associate, Troy Stade, has recently been to visit Sunreef Yachts in Poland, where a client is currently having a vessel built.

Dawson & Associates are pleased to have recently concluded the sale of the Sunreef 70 sailing catamaran Ginette to a foreign buyer.

NZ Customs is working through submissions received on their proposed rule changes for visiting yachts to New Zealand, and has updated its website with guidance on the sale of temporarily imported small craft in New Zealand.

Despite international controversy, bottom trawling in New Zealand is a sustainable and effective way of harvesting healthy wild-caught animal protein. The new video produced by the NZ Federation of Commercial Fishermen helps provide a new perspective.