Tracey Stevenson, President, NZ Marine Industry Association, reflects on advocacy wins, industry highlights and thanks Peter Busfiled for his 30 years of service.
The mission statement: ‘To grow the New Zealand marine industry through the profiling and collaboration of member companies, advocacy, industry training and promotion of safe boating as a recreational activity”.
The economic pressures of 2024 carried through into 2025 for marine businesses dependent on local sales. Despite reductions in the OCR, consumer spending in New Zealand has remained cautious. Even so, it has been pleasing to see a slight increase in our membership numbers despite the challenging environment.More recently, rising fuel prices and economic uncertainty stemming from hostilities in the Middle East have again contributed to market unease.The 2026 edition of the Auckland Boat Show enjoyed four days of stunning weather and once again served as an outstanding showcase of the New Zealand marine industry. The show formed part of the Moana Auckland Festival, which also included SailGP in February and the Wooden Boat Festival shortly after the Auckland Boat Show. The show was also the launching pad of our inaugural and very successful Women In Marine event attended by 115 guests from NZ and Australia.It was fantastic to see the waterfront buzzing with activity throughout these events. MAST Academy also held its graduation ceremony a day before the show, filling the RNZYS ballroom with enthusiastic graduates, their families and employers.A wide range of events and activities took place during 2025, with the NZ Marine conference at Trinity Wharf in Tauranga standing out as a highlight.Bringing the industry together to learn from one another and from our speakers is always both valuable and engaging. Other events throughout the year have been well covered in this edition by Stacey, Caroline and Peter.Advocacy and representation were major priorities in 2025, particularly our work with NZ Customs on proposed changes to the temporary importation of small craft. Collaborative discussions with the Customs team resulted in significant revisions to the original proposals. We will continue to advocate for policies that support positive experiences for cruising yachts and superyachts arriving in New Zealand for tourism or refit purposes, along with clear guidelines regarding the sale of foreign-owned vessels in New Zealand.
Additional engagement included consultation with MPI on clean hulll requirements for arriving vessels, requests to the Hon. Nicola Willis for additional support for exporting businesses, a request to the Hon. Erica Stanford to include boatbuilding and related trades on Immigration NZ’s Green List, and participation in discussions on the formation of new vocational training entities, among many other networking and consultation opportunities.I’d like to take this opportunity to shine a light on Peter Busfield, who retired at the end of March after 30 years of dedicated service to the Boating Industries Association. Over the decades, Peter has driven so many initiatives, events and collaborations that it’s difficult to select just a few to highlight.Peter has always been a strong champion of industry training, and the world-leading training institution we have today simply wouldn’t exist without his persistent advocacy through countless changes over the past 30 years. Another standout achievement is the success of the CPC standards for power trailer boats. Very few people could bring together so many competitors to collectively lift industry standards, and then go on to secure recognition of our certification as an Australian Builders Plate, reducing compliance barriers for exporters.Peter has worked tirelessly across all 25 Auckland Boat Shows, consistently supporting businesses, fostering collaboration and advocating passionately for the benefit of the marine industry. He has also built a highly capable team within the NZ Marine office, ensuring the organisation is well positioned for the future.I wish Peter all the very best in his retirement, and I extend my best wishes to his successor, who will no doubt have very big shoes to fill.
