A new stage of public submissions for the Life Jackets for Children and Young Persons Bill is now open until Wednesday 15 April 2026.
To submit, you must complete the online form on the Parliament website.
Please use these simple messages in your submission through the the Parliament website.
Suggested messages for your submission
What use is a lifejacket if people just 'carry them' but don't wear them?
Our current national rule is weak and differences in regional rules make it hard for people to understand.
This Bill could do a lot more to help people - of all ages - to change their behaviour and choose to always wear a lifejacket.
New Zealand needs a culture where lifejacket use is normal.
Wearing a lifejacket should be as normal as wearing a seatbelt, wearing a helmet when cycling, or fencing your swimming pool.
We need an easy to follow national law, lots of community education, and a healthy grace/amnesty period for people to adapt to the law change.
The law change will save around 120 lives in the next ten years.
Please add this to your submission
I support the views of Water Safety New Zealand and Coastguard Tautiaki Moana. This Bill is a positive step, but must be extended to apply people of ALL ages on ALL recreational craft.
The simple action of every New Zealander wearing a lifejacket on recreational boats/crafts would mean twelve lives saved every year.
Strengthening the Bill will fix the confusing patchwork of lifejacket rules in different regions in New Zealand. I recommend there is a single national rule making lifejackets mandatory for people of ALL ages on ALL recreational craft.
