Lifejackets, Botox and tattoos under Auckland review

Auckland Council is seeking public feedback on proposed changes to its navigation and health bylaws, including mandatory lifejacket use on small boats and updated safety rules for services such as tattooing, Botox and laser treatments.

Auckland Council is holding a one-hour drop-in “Have Your Say” session at Ōrewa Library on Thursday, May 14, from 12pm to 1pm, where residents can ask questions and provide feedback on the proposed changes.

Mandatory lifejackets

The Navigation Bylaw 2021 sets rules aimed at improving safety across Auckland’s harbours, rivers and coastal areas, including requirements around lifejackets and vessel access.

Following a review, Auckland Council is proposing a range of changes designed to strengthen safety measures and ensure the rules keep pace with changing technology and waterway use.

The most significant proposed change would make lifejackets mandatory on vessels under six metres while underway.

Bylaw review panel member Councillor Alf Filipaina says the proposed update will go a long way to prevent drownings associated with boating accidents.

“We know the vast majority of boating fatalities in New Zealand happen on small boats, where the victim is not wearing a lifejacket. Even though they might have had one on board, accidents can happen very suddenly,” he says.

“Some people might find this rule inconvenient at first — as people did when mandatory seatbelts or bike helmets were introduced — but we have heard from many water safety organisations that this simple change will save lives.”

Under current rules, it is compulsory to wear a life jacket on any vessel under six metres, unless the person in charge of the vessel gives permission not to wear one. This is more permissive than neighbouring regions, where life jackets must be worn while the vessel is underway.

As well as new rules around personal floatation devices, other key proposed updates to the Bylaw include:

• introducing safety, speed and access rules for newer types of vessels such as motorised hydrofoil boards and tow-foiling equipment
• updating legacy mooring licences to ensure all mooring license holders are subject to the same rules
• formalising long-standing Harbourmaster directions as part of the bylaw, improving clarity for vessel-operators
• establishing new exclusion zones, including around Auckland Airport and high-use or sensitive areas such as the Harbour Bridge and Tāmaki River rowing precinct
• removing controls around some areas which are no longer heavily used

Filipaina says public feedback is essential to shaping the final bylaw.

“We want to hear from Aucklanders — whether you’re out on the water every weekend or enjoy it from the shore. Your feedback will help us strike the right balance between safety, access and enjoyment.”

Lasers, tattoos and Botox

The Health & Hygiene Bylaw 2013, and its associated Code of Practice, covers a wide range of services including treatments like manicures and massage to tattooing and Botox.

Chair of the Regulatory and Safety Committee, Councillor Josephine Bartley, says the review aims to ensure the rules continue to protect public health while reflecting current practices and risks.

“The proposed changes will help the council focus on areas where it can effectively prevent harm. That will mean introducing some new rules and removing some regulations where risk is low.”

Under the proposed changes, services that involve intentionally piercing, breaking or burning the skin will still require providers to be licensed by the council, while providers of lower-risk services will need to be suitably qualified.

For services where licenses would no longer be required, the council will still respond with education and enforcement action if someone is injured.

Following a review and engagement with stakeholders, Auckland Council is proposing the following key updates:

• Removing licensing requirements for some lower-risk services, such as manicures, pedicures, hair removal and fat-freezing treatments, while still requiring them to meet general hygiene standards.
• Updating hygiene and safety standards for services that pierce, break or burn the skin or that can cause infections, including new rules requiring providers to supply services safely and verify that injected products are safe.
• Introducing new rules for scarification, including restrictions to reduce risks for people with certain health conditions.
• Requiring all providers to be suitably qualified, either through recognised qualifications or alternative training such as apprenticeships.
• Exempting practitioners registered with the Chinese Medicine Council of New Zealand from the bylaw when practising within their registered scope.
• Giving the council the ability to approve alternative safe practices where they achieve the same or better health outcomes.
• Allowing the council to require water treatment plans for public swimming pools where chemical balancing repeatedly fails.
• Updating rules to reflect current industry practice and technical advice, including guidance for laser treatments, tattoo inks and sterilisation equipment.
• Making the rules easier to read and understand, including clearly listing services that must be licensed or comply with specific standards

As part of the review, the council is also proposing to rename the bylaw as the “Services with Health and Safety Risks Bylaw 2026” to better reflect its scope.

Consultation on both bylaws are open until June 7 2026.

The council will consider all feedback, alongside input from mana whenua, stakeholders and technical experts before making a final decision on the bylaw later in 2026.