More than 50% of commercial maritime operators are now in or completing the application to transition to New Zealand’s new Maritime Operator Safety System (MOSS) according to the Government.
Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss says the transition is ahead of schedule.
All commercial operators must be in MOSS by 1 July 2018 — four years after the 1 July 2014 start date — with an estimated 1660 operations, covering more than 2600 vessels, expected to complete the entry process.
As of 28 June, 747 MOSS applications, covering 1602 ships, have been approved and a further 141 applications, involving more than 200 ships, are underway.
“MOSS is the biggest change for the maritime industry in 15 years, and I’d like to thank operators for their cooperation. Feedback, particularly from smaller players, has been positive,” says Foss.
“MOSS offers considerable benefits over the previous system. The new operating certificates have a 10-year life, compared to four years under the old Safe Ship Management system. Good operators also potentially face fewer audits which mean reduced compliance costs,” he says.
“Also, MOSS audits cover the whole operation. This benefit means operators do not face an audit for each vessel in their fleet every two years,” says Foss.
“Operators in MOSS receive their first audit within two years of entering the system, and the next within four years of the first audit,” he says.
“If they are continuing to operate well, they are likely to receive only one further audit before the end of the 10-year period,” says Foss.
